My Sister's Alpha
by Sappho82
Summary: Mei wakes up one morning and discovers that Yuzu is an omega. There are 20 alphas in Aihara Academy, and Mei knows that several of them would want to claim Yuzu as their mate. Who will become her sister's alpha? Plot-driven angst, action, romance, and smut. Crossover with with Akuma No Riddle, features Isuke x Haruki. Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics. Omegaverse AU
1. Heat

It's barely light outside, still too early to wake up for school, but Mei's eyes fly open from a dead sleep. Staring up at the ceiling, her pupils dilate until the amethyst irises recede to thin rings.

 _Good god, what is that_ _ **smell?**_

Assaulting Mei's nose was the most delicious, sweet aroma. A mellow flowery scent— jasmine, with bright citrus notes. Like walking through an orange grove on a perfect summer day. Like laying naked beside your lover in a field of wildflowers under an endless blue sky.

Mei closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, the scent coiling around her brain, intoxicating _. It smells amaze._ The scent, unquestionably feminine, was also potently sensual, and it communicated a clear, ringing imperative. She felt a familiar tingle spark to life between her legs.

Along with the aroma wafting from beside Mei, was a soft whimpering sound.

Realization struck Mei like a thunderbolt. Like a sack of goddamn bricks dropped on her head.

"Yuzu, you're in heat!" Mei screamed, leaping out of the covers as if the bed was made of lava.

Yuzu slowly lifted her head to turn and gaze at Mei. The blonde was on her stomach, hands fisting the sheets beside her head. Her eyes were rimmed red and a light sheen of sweat was glistening on her forehead. She looked like she wanted to respond to Mei but she suddenly closed her eyes tight, dropping her head onto her pillow again.

Despite the warmth that radiated from their bed, Mei's blood ran cold. "Yuzu, you're…you're an Omega?" the younger girl whispered.

Yuzu could only respond with a pitiful groan.

Confusion, panic and dread gripped Mei as her brain scrambled to digest all the things she discovered upon waking up a few seconds ago. She took a deep breath – big mistake, because Yuzu smelled like a fucking snack – and stated, "You are an Omega. And you are in heat."

"Yes thank you, Captain Obvious," Yuzu replied, wanting it to sound snarky but it came out all breathless instead.

"But you're a Beta!" Mei cried. "How could you have failed to mention that you're actually an Omega?"

In the back of her mind, she knew that she was overreacting, at least by accusing Yuzu of keeping it a secret. Having gotten perfect grades in Anatomy, and every other subject for that matter, she knew full well that females will usually present as an Omega between 15 and 17 years of age, precipitated by their first heat. At 18, Yuzu is a little late, but still within the normal range for healthy female Omegas.

"Mei, listen," Yuzu said with a weary sigh. "I don't feel good." She closed her eyes and swallowed. She raised her arm weakly towards Mei and beckoned. "Can you come here please?"

Mei was already backing away slowly from the bed. "No, Yuzu. I can't," Mei said firmly. "I shouldn't even be here."

Yuzu struggled a little bit before she was able to pull herself up on her elbows and look at her sister. Mei felt her heart kickstart when Yuzu leveled her with an intense gaze. The muscle triphammered painfully in her chest. Her retreat from the bed was halted as Yuzu's gaze rooted her to the spot.

Yuzu spoke again, but this time the pressure behind her words was practically tangible. "Mei. I need you. Come here, please."

Each inflection of Yuzu's voice was like a gentle tug at Mei's core, compelling her to come closer to her stepsister. The air in the room shifted, and a new layer settled over the pervading scent: desire.

A chill skittered up the length of Mei's spine as she struggled with the urge to stride over to the bed and and give her stepsister _all the help she needed, and then some._

Mei turned on her heels and fled the bedroom.

* * *

Mei had already been in school for 2 hours by the time the first students started showing up for the school day. She went straight to Aihara Academy after hurriedly leaving the apartment earlier that morning. Sitting in the Student Council Room, she was able to calm down and pull herself together.

First, she needed to get a hold of their mother. Ume hadn't been home for a few days because she was doing double shifts at the construction site this week. Mei tried calling her several times, finally leaving a voicemail explaining Yuzu's 'situation' and that she should come home straight away. Yuzu needed pills or given the hormone suppression shot, or something.

Next, come to terms with this totally unexpected discovery about Yuzu, and what that means to their already tenuous relationship. Just a few days ago they finally reached an uneasy truce, agreeing to start being nicer to each other. Mei agreed to stop being so judgmental over Yuzu being a delinquent and a gyaru, and Yuzu agreed to stop calling her a robot with a Yamato Nadeshiko complex. Mei was so relieved that they were finally going to have a normal, non-combative relationship, because living with their antagonistic dynamic was fraying her nerves. But now – _Yuzu is a goddamn Omega_. Mei groaned, putting her face in her hands.

Mei was suddenly yanked out of her brooding thoughts when she sensed _something._ Her spine snapped up straight and she cocked her head. It was faint, but the pull was unmistakable. _Fuck. No, no, no._

Mei rushed out of the room and broke into a run down the hallway. As student council president, she would have upbraided anyone running in the halls as fast as she was, but she couldn't give a flying fuck right now; she could only follow her instinct down these corridors.

Mei found Yuzu by the shoe locker area near the main doors. Her stepsister was leaning against the lockers, her blond hair uncharacteristically tousled. Yuzu never left their apartment without styling her long blonde hair and making sure it was on point. Having confirmed that Yuzu was indeed here in school, Mei almost howled with frustration.

 _What are you doing here, you idiot, how are you so stupid I'm going to kill youuu_

The anger was immediately replaced by a cold fear that clawed in her chest. Yuzu was an unclaimed Omega in heat, and she was out here in public. Just chilling like it was a goddamn stroll in the park. Surely, _surely_ Yuzu knew that Omegas in heat don't go out in crowded places, and if they absolutely had to, they were with their Alpha. Mei felt like banging her head against the nearest wall. Why was she always so reckless? Why was she here? She didn't even like school.

Mei quickly counted the number of known Alphas in the student body. Mentally flipping through all the students in a matter of seconds, she catalogued each face as Alpha, Beta, and Omega. There were 19 Alphas in the school. 19 Alphas in the vicinity who could smell an Omega in heat. 19 teenage girls compelled to claim the Omega and become her Alpha.

Only a few seconds after Mei committed to memory all the Alphas in the school, did she sense the nearest one in Yuzu's immediate vicinity.

Mizusawa Matsuri.

From across the atrium, Mei watched Matsuri lean towards Yuzu and say something in her ear. The pink-haired girl was smiling as she lightly squeezed Yuzu's upper arm, but Mei knew that her intentions were anything but innocent. At the very least, that little shit was trying to get a nice good whiff of Yuzu's heat.

Mei was gripping Matsuri's wrist and twisting it off of Yuzu's arm with a kotegaeshi wrist lock before the pink-haired girl could finish the thought she was trying to tell Yuzu. Matsuri's eyes widened in surprise at seeing Mei appear beside her like a motherfucking wizard. She yanked her hand out of Mei's grip and snapped, "What's your deal? Yuzu and I are having a conversation."

Mei stepped towards Matsuri, intentionally invading her personal space. She let a low growl reverberate in her chest. "Your conversation with Yuzu is over."

The two girls stared each other down until Matsuri looked away, knitted her brow, and bared her neck at Mei. She stood like that, head cocked to the right to expose her neck, clenching her jaw, until Mei turned away from her. Matsuri snatched her bag from the floor, muttered "Has no fucking chill," and walked off in a huff.

With difficulty, Mei resisted the strong urge to lean towards Yuzu, trail her own nose up the long delicate column of the blonde's neck, nuzzle into the scent gland just below the ear, close her eyes, and inhale deeply. She couldn't because she just bit off Matsuri's head for trying to be slick and do the same thing. _Dammit Matsuri!_

She glared at her stepsister and said in a tight voice, "Students in heat are supposed to stay at home. Omegas don't leave their houses during their heat because it's _dangerous_. Especially during their first heat."

Yuzu, still slumped against the locker gritted, "I came because," and winced in pain, "I didn't want to be all alone, and I need—"

"You never bother to follow the rules," Mei snapped. "If you want to come to this school, you need to abide by its regulations!"

Yuzu balled her fists and looked like she might cry from frustration. Their old conflicts once again came to the fore, but she really didn't need this shite right now. Now more than ever she wanted to tell Mei where to shove her perfect, rule-abiding persona.

"Screw your rules. I do what I want!"

* * *

As Mei had predicted, sitting in class with an Omega in heat _sucked ass_. Yuzu's scent got progressively stronger as each hour went by, so by the last class before lunch Mei could barely think straight.

Mei couldn't draw a full breath of air into her lungs without snorting a hit of Yuzu-laced pheromones. Yuzu's scent hung so thick in the room, Mei could taste it in the back of her throat. It was impossible to escape from it, because it was in the fucking _air._

Mei looked up at the chalkboard and squinted at the algebra problem, trying to make sense of the numbers and letters. But it was kind of hard to concentrate when the scent was making her stomach hurt, her head throb, and her core temperature rise to dangerous levels. For the fourth time that morning, she took out her handkerchief and wiped the sweat that was forming on her hairline.

She looked at the pencil she was gripping in her hand and imagined stabbing herself in the eye with it. She silently begged for any excuse right now to leave this room. But she was bound to her desk by duty, responsibility, and convention. She was Aihara Mei, and Aihara Mei obediently sat through class even if her hair was on fire.

Through the fog in her brain she heard the sensei's voice asking, "Aihara-san, what is our ordered pair?"

Mei's heart leapt into her throat, because she had no fucking clue what the answer was. And this never happened. She had never been distracted during class before, never in her whole glorious academic career.

She was about to fake a coughing fit or a seizure or something when she heard Yuzu's voice behind her say grumpily, "I'm sorry but I don't know sensei."

Mei's shoulders sagged in relief when she realized the sensei was addressing the other Aihara in the room. She fought with all the pathetic will she had left, but she found herself turning around to look at Yuzu who sat four rows behind her. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Yuzu staring right at her, with the intensity of a thousand suns. _Jesus!_

Mei observed that Yuzu's fingers were curled against her desk, her perfectly manicured (and in violation of school rules) fingernails pressed into the wood. Her breathing was shallow, and Mei could practically hear her erratic heartbeat.

In a distant part of her mind Mei knew she looked a little strange turned around in her seat in the middle of class, just dead ass staring at Yuzu, transfixed. But she couldn't tear her eyeballs away from Yuzu's mouth when the blonde very delicately bit the side of her lower lip and lifted her chest with a deep breath, and _still_ with that smoldering stare. Yuzu's teeth pressed down on her lip, hard, drawing red to the surface of the flesh.

That sight of Yuzu's tender flesh caught between teeth triggered something primal inside Mei. Her face sliced into a feral smile, teeth bared and eyes glinting with promised violence. Her muscles went taught, anticipation thrummed in her body, her vision tinged red, and she had the urge to leap out of her chair and tackle her stepsister. They were on the ground, Yuzu pinned under her, she was going to take care of that little problem with her heat. First she was going to take that bottom lip in _her_ mouth and tug on it. _Mine._

 ** _Stop it_** _, brain!_

With a supreme effort of will, Mei turned back around to face the front of the classroom. Her eyes landed on Inukai Isuke, sitting in the front corner of the room, also turned around in her seat and unabashedly staring at Yuzu. The Alpha clearly gave zero fucks if people realized that she was thirsting for an Omega who was in heat. On any given day Isuke slept through most of class, so seeing her upright and attentive was disconcerting to say the least. She was leaning forward towards Yuzu's direction, heels raised from the floor, looking like a cat ready to pounce.

Mei sighed. It was going to be a long, painful day. _Dammit, Yuzu._

When the bell rang for the lunch break, Mei shoved her things into her bag and hurried out, thankful to finally escape the suffocating room. She ignored students trying to talk to her and get her attention as she walked quickly to the Chairman's office. She pulled out the key from her pocket and unlocked the door. The brunette stepped behind the mahogany desk and stood in front of the massive display case that contained dusty old books, antique pottery, awards, and Aihara family heirlooms.

She grabbed the katana that had been in her family since the Edo period.

She followed Yuzu's scent to the courtyard in the middle of the building. Sighing in relief that she could see the blonde standing upright on her own two legs, not pinned under anyone or shoved up against a wall or mounted like a –

Yuzu's eyes lit up when she turned and found Mei standing beside her. She reached for Mei's arm and tugged on it, reflexively, as if she couldn't help it. Yuzu hung on to her arm and looked at her with big doe eyes. "Mei," Yuzu said in a whine, "don't leave again, c'mon."

"Yuzu, I told you. You need to go home. Please just do what I say, just this once."

The blonde responded to that with a frustrated mewl and by fisting the front of Mei's shirt with her other hand. She tugged Mei closer until their faces were less than a foot away from each other. She whined again, "No, I'm staying here with you! Why can't we just, like, talk for a minute, come here…"

"Let go of my shirt please," Mei said as she pried Yuzu's hands off her. "How would you like it if I was crumpling your clothes while you were wearing them?" Then she tried to swat Yuzu's hands away because the blonde started to get handsy with her. _Pawing like a goddamn cat._

"I'm not crumpling your clothes, geez…"

Mei didn't have to turn around to know that there were several Alphas now standing behind her. She felt them approach with deliberate and measured steps. Right away she recognized most of the girls' energy signatures; she had expected them after all. Their scents were all enhanced with higher than normal levels of adrenaline and testosterone.

Yuzu's eyes widened when the group of Alphas shifted into her line of sight. Usually an unmated Omega feels drawn to any Alpha in their vicinity when in heat, but not when they were in a fucking pack and being very threatening and intimidating with their smells and posturing and shit. Yuzu willed her body not to tremble and resisted the urge to tuck her head into Mei's neck and screw her eyes shut.

Mei slowly turned in place, keeping herself between Yuzu and the Alphas. She stared at five apex predators standing in the middle of the courtyard, drawn here by Yuzu's scent.

As packmaster, Azuma Tokaku stood in front of the group. Tokaku was a taciturn girl with a misanthropic streak, and so Mei was kind of surprised that she was packmaster, out here being a "leader" to these girls. But obviously, it was because no one could beat her in a fight.

Tokaku was flanked by Inukai Isuke on her right and Sagae Haruki on her left. Behind them, Takechi Otoya and Hanabusa Sumireko.

"Aihara-san. We want to have a word with the Omega," Tokaku said, throwing down the challenge with her words.

Behind her, Isuke's lips curled into a smirk. Her body was canted to one hip, cutting an imposing figure with her tall, lean body, which Mei knew was lethal and very dangerous. Her eyes were locked on Yuzu, and she ran the tip of her tongue along the edge of the upper row of her teeth. Mei rolled her eyes. Isuke was sexy as hell and criminally gorgeous, but sometimes she was a bit much.

"No. Stay away from her," Mei said evenly. "She's not for lunch."

"The hell she's not," Tokaku snarled. Her pupils contracted to pinpoints, the ice blue chips making her look feral and rabid. Mei wouldn't have been surprised if they started fucking glowing.

Mei knew she had seconds until shit got real. She assessed the rest of the Alphas quickly.

Haruki – a nice girl really, a conscientious student, and Isuke's girlfriend. Freakishly strong. Sumireko – heiress to one of the richest families in Japan, very prim and proper. No doubt hiding some kind of crazy superpower/skill/quirk _something_. Otoya – on the outset she was pretty, polite, and pleasant. But there was something seriously off-kilter about her. And she smelled like spilled blood and torture. She had a Cheshire cat grin on her face and looked completely unhinged.

Mei swept her gaze around the courtyard, taking in the position of the trees, the square footage of the open spaces, the concrete structures, the uneven surfaces. She was no brawler, but ever since she woke up this morning she's had to constantly make adjustments to her damn life. _Let's add a lunchtime battle royale to the list, because why fucking not?_

She turned around and looked at Harumin straight in the eye. Imbuing her voice with authority, she said, "Take Yuzu home now. Find my grandfather's driver in the front office and have him drive her home."

As a Beta, Harumin was compelled by instinct to obey this direct command. Harumi grabbed Yuzu's wrist and dragged the blonde away. She must have been really forceful, because there seemed to be a residual effect on Nene, who also scampered away and was shoving Yuzu along.

Mei faced the pack of Alphas. Mei knew that this won't go down as easily as it did with Matsuri. Not by a long shot _._ No, these five were the biggest and the baddest.

Tokaku flicked her wrist and sunlight glinted on the the three sharp blades sticking out between the fingers of her closed fist. _Like she's goddamn Wolverine._

Mei curled her hand around the handle of her sword and waited for Tokaku to make the first strike.

* * *

Mei entered the apartment and slipped off her shoes in the entrance hallway. She winced when she had to bend her torso, but luckily no ribs felt broken. Her knees were scraped and there was a gash on her forehead. But no one had followed her home. She made sure they weren't in any condition to.

She stepped into the kitchen and opened the freezer for ice to put on her face. She already felt the bruise forming. She just wanted to forget how she was Sakura Punched into a concrete planter by Hanabusa Sumireko.

She padded around the apartment looking for signs of Ume but found that their mother wasn't home. Her phone must have died again and never got her messages. _For fuck's sake._ She loved that woman, _but for real, get it together._

Mei stood in front of the door of the bedroom. She knew that she should turn away. Go stay in her father's or grandfather's house for the next few days. After a long time, she turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.

As Mei stepped in the room and inhaled, she tasted Yuzu's essence, distilled on her tongue. The composition of the smell was the same one she encountered this morning when she first woke up, but scent had matured into something earthier, muskier. Warmth spread through her whole body, to the tips of her toes to the top of her head.

Adding to the sensory overload was the sight of her sister. Yuzu was laying on her stomach under the sheets, with just her head sticking out. By the way the sheets rustled, it was clear that Yuzu's hand was between her legs, working furiously.

Yuzu slowly opened her eyes and looked at Mei standing in front of her. Her eyes were wild and unfocused, and she had the look of someone who had been dancing on the razor's edge for hours.

It took Yuzu a few moments to say, "You're hurt."

Mei shrugged. "I'll live. You should've seen the other guy."

"My hero," Yuzu purred.

 _I guess you're going to continue to masturbate while we have this conversation. Cool cool._

"This isn't a joke. Do you even realize what could have happened?" Mei said, frustrated that the blonde didn't seem to grasp the situation. "A whole fucking pack, Yuzu. That was seriously the dumbest thing you've done yet."

Yuzu's eyes flashed at that little dig. She stopped her ministrations between her legs and lifted herself up on both elbows. The blonde narrowed her eyes at her stepsister.

"There was no way that you could have gone though the day without getting jumped. What the hell were you thinking?" Mei hissed.

Yuzu slowly rose. The pile of sheets fell away from her as she slipped off the side of the bed.

Mei's heart stopped when Yuzu stood up to face her, completely naked. Her eyes widened as she took in her stepsister's bare body. Her breasts were heavy, fuller than when she had last seen them in the bath several months ago. Her nipples were hard, the color of crushed pink rose petals. Mei was _sure_ they were begging her to take them in her mouth. Mei's eyes traveled farther down, to the graceful curve of her waist and the flare of her hips. Soft dark curls on the apex of Yuzu's thighs. Mei saw that it was wet with arousal.

The sight almost brought Mei to her knees.

Giving Mei a sultry look, Yuzu said, "I came to school because I needed you."

Yuzu's voice was silky and seductive. Yuzu's voice, along with the scent rolling off of her, were like velvet tendrils that wrapped itself around Mei.

"Alpha," Yuzu said with hooded eyes and an indulgent smile on her lips.

The word reached out towards Mei, between her legs, and fucking _stroked_. Like, it slipped two fingers in and moved them up and down gently, maddeningly. _Fuuck._

Clearly Yuzu knew the effect the word had on Mei because she said it again.

"My Alpha."

Mei's whole midsection clenched, and arousal pooled in her pelvic floor, like warm molasses.

And like a scene ripped out of Mei's fever dreams, Yuzu closed the distance between them.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

For the uninitiated, Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics or aka Omegaverse, is a fanfiction trope that explores power dynamics within a hierarchal system based on animal behavior. In this alternate universe, people are born as either an Alpha, Beta, or Omega. Fanfiction writers usually choose from elements like mating, bonding, scenting, heat / rut , knotting, breeding, werewolves, dominance, submission, etc. If you really want to nerd out: omegaverse originated in the Supernatural fandom.

The girls from the "pack" are from Akuma no Riddle, one of the best yuri mangas EVAR, in my opinion. 12 girl assassins participate in a killing game in a high school called Myojo Academy. There are not just one, but THREE (maybe four?) canon lesbian relationships.

I titled this piece "My Sister's Alpha" as a play on the phrase "my brother's keeper" What do you guys think of this story? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! I couldn't resist putting in a little bit of shonen, you like? And Mei as a sword lesbian is one of my greatest kinks, lol.


	2. Flame

Mei's eyelids slipped shut as Yuzu pressed her lips to hers. The kiss was hungry and needy, and the blonde wasted no time in slipping her tongue in Mei's mouth. Yuzu wanted to taste the Alpha, the one she had been waiting to bone all day, ever since the first wave of her heat rolled through her this morning. Yuzu was literally aching to be fucked by the Alpha, and she was done pussy footing around with Mei and her tortured sense of righteousness or whatever. Yuzu tangled her fingers in Mei's ebony hair and angled the younger girl's head in order to press her tongue inside the younger girl's mouth more deeply.

Mei felt warmth build deep in her belly as she felt Yuzu's hot wet tongue in her mouth. Mei had fantasized about this particular moment more times than she could count, but never in her wildest dreams thought that she would actually be swapping spit with Yuzu, because _hello._

 _This is bad, so bad, must stop_

With an anguished groan, Mei tore her lips from Yuzu's and leaned her head back. "Yuzu, we can't," she gasped. "We're sisters."

Yuzu rolled her eyes and said "Mei, this isn't _Frozen_. We're _step_ sisters." Her brow furrowed, impatient that Mei was using her mouth for something other than kissing her.

"Ok, but we're still sisters," Mei resisted adding, _you idiot_.

"There's no way we could be anything more to each other. And sisters don't," Mei swallowed when she became aware that her traitorous hands were gripping the blonde's bare hips possessively, "do this."

 _Ah shit she is totally bare ass naked right now, stop touching her you fooool_

Those same hands decided they weren't taking orders from brain. Mei watched her own hands in fascination as they slowly trailed up the sides of Yuzu's torso, following the gentle curve of her waist. They settled just below Yuzu's breasts, her thumbs pressing against the weight of the creamy mounds.

A lazy, indulgent smile tugged on the corners of Yuzu's lips as she laid her hands over Mei's and pushed them to the front of her chest to cup her breasts. Mei inhaled sharply as she hefted Yuzu's perfect, milky white breasts. Yuzu let her own hands fall away and Mei still cupped her breasts, and that's when Mei consciously felt the foundations of her willpower start to slip.

Yuzu laced her fingers against the back of Mei's neck and dipped her head and captured her stepsister's lower lip with her mouth and sucked. She sank her teeth lightly on Mei's lip and tugged lightly before releasing. "Tell me, what else do sisters not do?"

Mei closed her eyes and took a steadying breath as she desperately tried push past all the things that were triggering a biological impulse and grasp at the arguments ricocheting in her mind about why this was _not right_ , why she couldn't give in to this temptation. A new fiancé – her grandfather will for sure find another one soon. Yuzu was her _stepsister_. Yuzu was in heat.

 _What kind of messed up person who will be engaged soon bangs their own stepsister who is in heat?_ _This is so so bad._

"Sisters don't have sex with each other just because one of them is in heat! You're not thinking clearly, Yuzu. We need to stop before we make some really bad decisions."

Mei stressed that last statement by squeezing Yuzu's breasts and then swiping the hardened nipples with her thumbs. Yuzu moaned, the sound dragging from the back of her throat.

 _I swear, her tits grew bigger. Did she go up a cup size? Jesus_

Yuzu closed her eyes and arched her back, and Mei felt more of her self control fizzle away as she helplessly palmed her stepsister's breasts, rolling and pinching the hardened rose-colored nipples with her fingers and earning more happy sounds from the blonde.

Reaching deep down, drawing on the self discipline that allowed her to endure the years of punishing study schedules and becoming student council president in her first year, Mei dredged up one last valiant attempt to fend off her horny stepsister. "You don't really want me, Yuzu. You're just in heat – any Alpha would do."

 _Not telling you to go mount some other Alpha, but you know, just ride it out, jesus fuck._

Yuzu's eyelids flew open. "Are you fucking serious right now Mei?" Yuzu asked, her eyes flashing with an unholy fire because now she was _mad._ "Do you realize that I could have gotten any Alpha within a 50-foot radius that I passed on the way to school to fuck me?"

Yuzu continued while stalking forward, and Mei had no choice but to step back. "I thought I was going to die from running to school because I had to dodge any Alpha that could pick up my scent."

Mei was now backed up against a wall facing a very angry Yuzu. "And you know how I absolutely _hate_ running," Yuzu spat, her eyes narrowed. "So if you don't realize that you're the only Alpha that I want to fuck me till I see stars," Yuzu paused before continuing, "then you've got shit for brains."

 _Rude. Wait what?_

The blonde then launched herself on her stepsister, knocking Mei's head back against the wall as she crashed their lips together in a bruising kiss, teeth clacking, tongues fighting for dominance. Yuzu pressed her length against the taller girl, and Mei's knee went up between Yuzu's legs on reflex. Yuzu pulled up the fabric of Mei's skirt so that she could settle herself on the brunette's bare skin. The ache between Mei's legs surged hot and bright when she felt Yuzu's bare sex on her thigh as the blonde started to grind shamelessly.

"Oh fuck, fuck. You're so wet," said Mei in a ragged voice. She felt a bead of Yuzu's wetness drip down her thigh. Her mouth watered. The scent was enough to make her lose her mind.

Yuzu pulled her mouth away from Mei's and touched their foreheads together. Staring into Mei's eyes as if to will her into compliance, she whispered, "Alpha, fuck me, _please_. I need you so bad."

A low growl rumbled from Mei's chest. The final wall that separated the base, primal instincts from the rest of Mei's higher mind fell away at those words. Her wolf rose to the surface, howling and clawing, furious from being restrained for so long. Yuzu felt Mei's body grow taut under her and watched the feral glint appear in her eyes. The amethyst irises flashed into amber for a second, the pupils morphing into vertical slits. Yuzu shivered from the chill that bloomed from behind her neck and spread down her back.

Mei grabbed the back of Yuzu's thighs and wrapped the blonde's legs around her waist. She started a trail of wet, open-mouthed kisses from the hollow of her throat to her neck as she carried her stepsister to the bed. When the edge of the bed hit her knees, she tipped her body forward to deposit the blonde in the middle of the bed.

Yuzu propped herself up on her elbows and bent her knees. With lidded eyes, she gazed back at Mei's face and very slowly spread her legs open. It was a challenge, a provocation, a plea, an order. Mei stared at the juncture between Yuzu's legs and her mouth went dry and her body was set aflame.

"So wet. So wet and ready for me," Mei rasped.

The younger girl lowered herself between her stepsister's legs and pressed her forehead against the girl's mons and inhaled deeply. The unadulterated scent of Yuzu's arousal was intoxicating, and Mei felt like liquid fire got dumped into her veins and straight to her core. Curling her arms around the blonde's thighs, she laid a long, firm lick along the length of Yuzu's sex, then pulled her tongue back in her mouth to savor the taste.

 _Fuck. So good._

Yuzu mewled at that first delicious touch of Mei's tongue on her center, and she immediately grabbed Mei's head to keep her from moving away where she wanted to. The brunette made a low warning growl and Yuzu eased off her grip, but didn't quite let go of the girl's head.

 _I'm the Alpha here._

Mei lowered her head and pressed her mouth to Yuzu's burning center. She licked the slick folds surrounding the clit, exploring each moist corner, but careful not to touch the throbbing bundle of nerves. Hearing Yuzu's low moans made the coil of arousal between Mei's legs wind tighter and tighter. Yuzu threaded her fingers in Mei's hair and tried to gently nudge her mouth higher, but Mei moved just a little lower and found Yuzu's entrance. She pushed her tongue into the slick opening and was rewarded with the keen tang of Yuzu's arousal, and wetness dripped into her mouth.

"Yes, fuck! Right there," Yuzu squealed. "You're so good at this Alpha," she cooed, eager to—ahem—stroke the girl's ego.

Yuzu was just so happy and relieved that she finally, _finally_ got the Alpha between her legs, right where she needed her. She knew Mei was stubborn, but she didn't expect to have to work this hard to get the brunette to acquiesce. Not that Yuzu was an expert in mating cycles or anything, but she knew enough that for Mei to refuse her advances must have taken a herculean effort of will. But after a long arduous day of enduring this blasted heat, Mei was finally fucking her. And the tongue between her legs was driving her crazy.

Mei returned to broad laps of Yuzu's slit from end to end. Yuzu looped her leg over Mei's shoulder and dragged her heel along her spine, her breath now coming in shallow pants. Mei ended each sweep of her tongue at the top of Yuzu's slit, curling against the base of her clit with the lightest touch. Each time the tip of Mei's tongue glanced at her clit, Yuzu's panting grew heavier.

Dragging her tongue excruciatingly slowly one last time up the length of Yuzu's cunt, Mei finally wrapped her mouth around the blonde's clit. She wet the throbbing nub with a circling lap of her tongue and then sucked. Yuzu threw her head back in a long drawn out moan, the sound ringing in Mei's ears, driving her mad with lust.

Still suckling at her clit, Mei pushed two fingers into Yuzu's wet heat. The blonde made a high keening whine before panting "Yes, fuck, yes!" for each thrust of Mei's fingers. With the flat of her tongue, Mei roughly licked at Yuzu's clit until she felt the blonde's slick walls tighten around her fingers. Yuzu slammed her thighs closed against Mei's head, making the brunette's ears ring, and she felt the older girl's legs tremble. Knowing Yuzu was close, she wrapped her lips around the girl's clit and applied a vacuum, curled her fingers, and rubbed the ridged patch in Yuzu's inner wall.

White hot pleasure surged through Yuzu, total and complete. This was the moment that the pain and urgency of Yuzu's heat abated for the first time. She clutched at her Alpha as she crested, Mei's name on her lips as she was suspended before the fall. Her back arched off the bed as her orgasm crashed into her, shuddering as each wave of pleasure rolled through her body.

Mei crawled up the bed to lay beside Yuzu and wrap her arms around her. As her breathing started to calm down, Mei felt her mind coming back to her.

Yuzu's eyes were still closed and her body was twitching slightly from the aftershocks. Mei instantly felt a surge of pride that she had _satisfied_ the Omega, her chest puffing up unconsciously. She liked the thought of being the one who could _please_ the blonde laying in her arms. Be the one to make Yuzu moan. Make Yuzu writhe underneath her. Each time Yuzu was in heat, be the one to take care of her.

 _Me. Only me. Mine._

Mei's hand gently touched Yuzu's collarbone, and her fingers ghosted up the side of her neck. Her fingers found the spot just below the ear, and she stroked it softly with the tips of her forefinger and middle finger.

 _A mate bite…_

 _Then she would be mine._

Mei's eyes widened when she caught the direction of her thoughts. _Jesus, what's wrong with me? A mate bite, really? The fuck._

When Yuzu finally opened her eyes, she saw Mei staring at her with adoration. Yuzu felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Oddly enough, even after jumping her stepsister's bones and getting eaten out so good she blacked out for a minute, Yuzu blushed when Mei laid a hand on her face and stroked her cheek with her thumb.

"I like hearing you scream my name when you cum," Mei said in a low voice.

Both of them _felt_ the possessiveness behind Mei's words. It was only a hint of possessiveness in the brunette's voice, but perhaps because they were Alpha and Omega, or because Yuzu has always been weirdly attuned to her stepsister's voice and moods, but Mei could have just as well said _no one else should be able to touch you like this_ out loud.

"Well," Yuzu pursed her lips and pretended to think about it, "I'd be happy to engage in activities that will lead to you hearing what you like."

The edge of Mei's lips quirked into a smile and she said, "So I take it we're not quite done yet?"

Yuzu laughed, the pretty tinkling sound stoking the fire in Mei's loins. The blonde raised herself up and straddled her stepsister. Mei looked up at Yuzu and saw pure amusement twinkling in emerald eyes. Yuzu lowered her head and playfully licked the brunette's neck.

She whispered, "Mei, my dear, we're just getting started."


	3. Bite

Sunday night. Yuzu's heat was finally on the wane.

Mei was reviewing her math homework when she heard Yuzu gasp as she was scrolling down her LINE newsfeed.

"Harumu and Matsuri went to Shibuya yesterday," Yuzu exclaimed. "Their pic is super cute!"

Mei didn't even bother to turn around from her desk. She said in a practiced neutral tone, "Yuzu, maybe you can try to do _some_ of your homework?" Mei glanced at the digital clock on her table. 10:30pm. "If you start now you could probably finish half of the problem sets that are due tomorrow."

It was Sunday night and Mei knew for a fact that Yuzu hadn't as much as glanced at the homework that was due for the next day.

Yuzu groaned dramatically. "I can't even, Mei. I'm sooo tired!" She giggled. "Someone wore me out this weekend."

Mei rolled her eyes but a smile played at her lips. Indeed, the blonde wasn't walking right, but Mei wouldn't have been satisfied if she hadn't fucked Yuzu into the mattress until she was sore. Not that Yuzu would have allowed any less either.

Another smile appeared on Mei's lips as she rolled her shoulders to feel the delicious burn of the scratches that Yuzu clawed all over her back. She was very proud to be wearing them, more than the arm badge on her uniform that indicated she was student council president, more than the top spot in the class rankings.

Yuzu continued to give Mei the highlights of her newsfeeds as she caught up with her different social media accounts. She had gotten several new follows since last Friday, the day she woke up presenting as an omega. All the new follows were from alphas, but she intuitively didn't mention that to her stepsister. Yuzu continued to give a running commentary on who went where, who ate what, who posted the funniest meme, who was dating who, and who was throwing shade.

Mei was only half listening to the school gossip, which never interested her, until Yuzu said the name Namatame Chitaru. Her ears pricked up and her head snapped to the right to look at Yuzu. Chitaru was an alpha in the 3rd year. She was part of Tokaku's pack, although she wasn't there on Friday when they ganged up on Yuzu. Mei's stomach twisted when she remembered the five alphas standing in the courtyard, their eyes trained on the omega like cats following a mouse.

"…and she wrote _that looks delicious I want some_ on this pic of this red velvet cake from that new café Harumi and I went to the other day. It was to die for..."

Unease crawled up Mei's veins, leaving a sour taste in her mouth. She may not understand the twitters or tinders or the snapchats or whatever it was that her peers were using these days, but she could recognize double entendre. And the fact that it was from an alpha and directed to Yuzu – she got the urge to start kicking ass and taking names.

 _Ok, whoa. Just calm down. Get it together. That's just how people talk on the internet these days._

The brunette willed herself to tune out her stepsister's inane chatter and concentrate on her homework. She had gotten so far as half a page on the reading for Classical Japanese when she heard a slight shift in her stepsister's tone as she narrated what was happening on her iPhone. Apparently someone had slid into her 'DM.' She wasn't sure what that was, but her hackles rose.

"Ooohhh. She says she wants to talk about Friday. That it was all a misunderstanding," putting one-handed air quotes on the last word. Yuzu snorted. "Yeah right."

"Who is that?" Mei asked, her voice the sharp edge of a knife.

Yuzu glanced up from her phone, surprised at Mei's sharp tone. "Oh," she said in a small, hesitant voice. "Isuke-sama."

The pencil in Mei's hand snapped in half. Inchoate rage erupted deep in her stomach, shooting raw electricity through her body. Mei suddenly rose from her seat, her chair scraping roughly on the wooden floor.

"Uh, Mei? Are you okay? You look a little…upset."

Mei stood watching Yuzu on the bed, trying to quell the possessiveness that was now swelling in her chest, flooding her emotions. Her pulse jumped in her throat, her senses heightening.

"Yuzu, you do know that anytime an alpha approaches you, it's because you're an omega," Mei said slowly, trying not to hiss. "They just want one thing—to mate with you."

Yuzu smirked. "What century are you from, Mei?"

Her stepsister scowled.

" _Really_? Every alpha just has one thing on the brain? So I should avoid all of them now?" Yuzu teased.

Mei barely managed to swallow back the growl that threatened to rumble out of her throat. _Yes, you naïve fool. Is water wet? They're all trying to be the one to top you the next time you're in heat!_

Yuzu was the new omega on the block, she was unmated, she was a beauty, she was soft and tender and utterly feminine and—well. She was basically the quintessential omega. An alpha's dream. She might as well be a baby lamb thrown into a lion's den. Aihara Academy was going to be open season for this omega for the indeterminate future.

 _Fuck it all to hell._

"Yes, I think you should avoid all alphas," she said. _Well that sounds reasonable. Jackass._

Yuzu's brow furrowed and her head cocked to the side as she tried to figure out what was going on with Mei. She settled on giving her stepsister a lopsided grin. "Ok, well that's going to be really awkward 'cause my new lab partner for the chemistry experiment is an alpha. Not really sure how we could do the lab if I don't talk to her."

"Who?"

"Hashiri Nio."

A cold hand squeezed Mei's heart. "And what do you mean by new?"

"She messaged me on Friday telling me we were partners now. We're gonna meet up after school tomorrow to plan our experiment."

The hand around Mei's was squeezing, contracting, tightening like a vice. It was paining her, she couldn't breathe. An image of the alpha with her arms around Yuzu loomed before her. An _alpha_ touching Yuzu. Touching her hair. Hands on her hips. Pulling the blonde towards them. A mouth trailing along her jaw.

 _No, no, no!_ Mei's stomach lurched, she tasted bile in the back of her throat. She took an unsteady step towards the bed.

These alphas, they were going to keep coming for her. But Yuzu was _hers._

 _Mine. No. Other. Alpha._

Yuzu's eyes widened as she watched Mei approach. She put her phone down and lifted her head from the pillow, a chill crawling up her spine as she regarded Mei's dark expression. The blonde made a small gasp because the air in the room seemed to thin. She tasted the metallic aftertaste of a looming thunderstorm.

"B-but I mean, it's totally fine. I can handle myself Mei. I'd like to see Nio try anything," Yuzu chuckled nervously. Mei was seriously freaking her out. _Oh my god your face._

A roaring grew in Mei's ears, an avalanche racing down a mountain, burying her stepsister's conversation to a low hum. Her body was being pulled towards the omega, like she was caught in a snare, and pulling away was only going to tighten the noose.

Yuzu was _hers._ Her omega.

All the alphas that crossed Yuzu's path needed to know to whom she belonged.

Mei gazed down at Yuzu as she stood on the corner of the bed. Now that she was this close to Yuzu's scent, Mei accepted that it was inevitable. Yuzu's scent was sweet and alluring like all omegas, but it sang to her _blood_. Mei's fate was sealed.

The omega peered up at her, eyes wide and wondering, knowing in her bones that they were standing on a precipice. Of exactly what, she wasn't quite sure—

Yuzu had barely registered that Mei had her pinned to the bed when she felt Mei's teeth sink into her neck.

Every nerve ending in Yuzu's body blazed as she threw back her head and screamed.

* * *

The next morning, the two stepsisters walked to school with a mounting feeling of dread in the pit of their stomachs, but for vastly different reasons.

For the tenth time in as many minutes, Yuzu gently touched the angry red mark on her neck. They hadn't entered through the school gates yet but she was already fidgeting with self-consciousness. She wanted to hide it from the world, especially from the girls in their school, and she considered again whether she could pull off a chic neck scarf to hide the mark.

 _Ugh, no, a neck scarf does not go with this collar at all. Dammit!_

And besides, nobody had to actually _see_ the mate bite on her neck to know that she was now mated and to whom. They would smell it on her, as clear as if she wore a flashing red sign that broadcasted Mei's claim on her. A red flush appeared on the blonde's fair cheeks when she imagined what everyone would say. Again, she cursed her stepsister. What the hell was Mei thinking, giving her a mate bite? _Shit's fucked._

All that and yet, as she fingered the mark on her neck, it also stirred up an entirely different set of feelings. She wanted Mei to hold her hand, pull her close, and not let go. She wanted to cling to Mei's arm as they toddle to school in an awkward shuffle. She wanted to jump into Mei's arms in a princess carry and throw her arms around her neck. She ached for Mei to turn to her and bury her nose in her hair and whisper sweet things in her ear. _Shit's so fucked._

Mei was walking with her back ramrod straight and chin held high, but inside she was losing her shit. She hadn't stopped berating herself since she came to her senses after giving Yuzu a mate bite. She had basically lost her goddamn mind. It was the most insane, reckless, and ill-advised thing she had ever done in her life. There were so many reasons why being mated to Yuzu was _so_ very wrong, and her mind churned with trying to rank them in order of terribleness.

She, Aihara Mei, star student, student council president, future chairwoman of Aihara Academy, bit her delinquent gyaru stepsister because she obviously had no self control whatsoever when it came to the blonde. Because for a few moments she gave in to this primal need to brand Yuzu as _hers._ Even now, she fought the urge to yank Yuzu close whenever she felt an alpha's presence close by.

 _Unbelievable._

She fucked up real bad, and for that she was sorry. Right after it happened and Yuzu had stopped screaming, they fell into a mating frenzy that involved scenting each other so thoroughly that the smell wouldn't wash off for days, several more rounds of mind-blowing sex, though it didn't have the frenzied urgency of heat, it felt fucking _profound_ , like their souls were fucking fusing together, because they were _mated_. And then holding Yuzu in her arms as they fell asleep, because it was the only place in the whole wide world that the blonde belonged.

In. Her. Arms.

Mei shook her head. But then the morning dawned and the newly-mated hormones wore off and then reality came like a baseball bat to the face. She was deeply ashamed for what she had done to Yuzu, and a torrent of apologies came gushing out of her mouth, but she felt like she didn't even deserve to be forgiven. She was the world's worst sister. She felt like a piece of shit.

It was clear that they had to be unmated. Break their bond. Mei winched. She would have to look it up, but Mei was certain it was going to be painful. Right now they had to run the gauntlet. Taking a deep breath, Mei entered the school gates.

A portentous breeze blew the moment Yuzu and Mei walked though the entrance, carrying the mated pair's scent into the courtyard.

It only took a few steps past the gates for every head in the vicinity to swivel towards the two stepsisters. All conversation ceased and several gasps rang out in the early morning air.

"No way."

"What?"

"Who is that girl?"

"I must be tripping balls because I swear it smells like the president is mated to that blonde transfer student."

"Holy shit!"

"Fuck, why are all the good alphas taken?"

"Tomoko-chan is going to _die_. She's been in love with the president since the 5th grade."

Yurika: **_Guess hu just rocked up w/ Aihara Mei's mate bite. blondie from 1A_**

Naoko: **_shut d fuck up_**

Yurika: **_truth. come 2 the front n smell her_**

"Ew, that slut. How did she trick Aihara-san to be her mate?"

"Girl you can't trick Aihara-san to do jack shit. Lil' mama was _claimed._ "

"Hot."

"Oh my god Becky. Look at her neck."

Mei squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and strode towards the school building.

Left standing alone, Yuzu clenched her jaw and willed herself to place one foot in front of the other. She attempted to look totally normal, just walking up to school on a normal day like she wasn't wearing Aihara Mei's scent on her.

The student council president's scent was the cold. It was sharp frost, a raging blizzard, the driving snow. Mei's scent elicited a range of emotions from those who were familiar with it – deference, respect, awe, lust, adoration, fear.

It wouldn't be so hard if every single person in the school wasn't keenly aware of and familiar with Mei's scent, which was now wrapped around Yuzu like a cloak. On top of her stepsister's scent, Yuzu was also wearing Mei's claim on her. It was impossible to stand next to Yuzu and not recognize right away that she belonged to Aihara Mei. Her scent on Yuzu communicated to other alphas: _this one is mine_. The scent evoked an arctic wolf stalking the tundra, marking its territory.

The crowd parted like the sea for Yuzu, gaping at her, their eyes darting to her bruised neck. True enough, there was a clear imprint of teeth marks right below her ear, rimmed with red flesh, darkest where the incisors sank in. The flesh wound on Yuzu's neck was a textbook mate bite, executed with precision and decisiveness.

Each and every omega who laid eyes on Yuzu burned with envy and jealousy. How in the world did that transfer student snag the most sought-after alpha in the whole school?

Yuzu's eyes searched for Harumi at the lockers, desperate to find her friends. She walked quickly when she spotted them, eager for shelter from the level of cattiness that only high school girls can achieve.

Matsuri was facing her as she approached, and the girl's eye's widened when she got close enough to smell her. The alpha's eyes flashed and her lips formed into an ugly snarl. Harumi, startled that Matsuri suddenly looked like she was going to pop off, whirled around. Expecting to see Mei behind her, Harumi's brow wrinkled in confusion when she saw Yuzu standing there.

It took Harumi a few moments to process. She exclaimed, "Oh my god, what? How did…" gesturing with her hand down Yuzu's body. "The president?!"

Nene was agog. The poor girl was frozen in place.

Yuzu groaned, pulling at her face. "Guys, it's very complicated, but I'm kind of freaking out right now so…"

Yuzu was cut off by an omega's loud, shrill, blood-curdling scream. Goosebumps raised on her arms as she turned towards the sound.

Yuzu saw the omega standing a few feet from her, trembling with raw fury. Her eyes were wild and her corkscrew curls looked like she had been tearing at them.

Momokino Himeko was _shook._

 _Aw shit here we go._ Yuzu made a run for it.

* * *

Mei was in the library hurriedly scanning the stacks for the Human Biology textbook whose call number she clutched in her hand. She was grateful that the library was mostly empty. After finding the book, Mei sat on a bench between the shelves and ran a forefinger down the table of contents looking for the chapter on _Mating Cycles._

Her finger running down the smooth page of the book triggered a muscle memory of the times she used said finger during the height of Yuzu's heat. Realizing what was about to happen, Mei screwed her eyes shut to resist it, but like the way a riptide claims the shore, she was pulled under by a crashing wave of memory and sensations.

…

"Harder," Yuzu begged, urging Mei's fingers that were buried in her pussy. Her entreaty was slightly muffled by the mattress that her forehead was pressed on. She was on lying on her stomach, propped up on her knees.

Mei smiled behind her, happy to comply. She tightened her grip on Yuzu's hip, anchoring herself as she thrust two fingers into Yuzu's wet heat with more force, making her ass cheeks bounce. The soft, silky drag of Mei's fingers turned rougher when Yuzu's walls tightened around the long digits. Yuzu moaned loudly into the sheets.

"Faster," she rasped, need coating her voice. Her thighs were starting to tremble. Oh yes, Mei could go faster. She pistoned her hand into the blonde's sex, darting in and out of Yuzu's entrance at a furious pace. Mei felt a fresh wave of wetness coat her fingers, and brunette shuddered at the exquisite feeling of being enveloped in the blonde's tight wet heat. Another long, drawn out moan was ripped from the back of Yuzu's throat, and blood rushed to Mei's clit at the sound of the omega lost in rapture, intensifying the ache.

"Deeper!" Yuzu wailed, arching her back and pushing up on her palms, using the leverage to rock her hips back against Mei's fingers roughly.

The alpha slammed her hand into Yuzu's sopping wet pussy, burying it to the hilt, and then pushing in a little bit more.

Several deep, long strokes and a strangled sound came from the blonde beneath her, her breath now coming in gasping pants.

Mei angled her wrist downward and pressed against the ridged patch that sent a searing spike of pleasure up the omega's spine. It was like pulling the pin on a grenade, and Yuzu screamed her alpha's name as her orgasm ripped through her.

Mei opened her eyes, the rows of books on the stacks slowly coming into focus. _Fuck._ Her underwear was soaked.

She looked down at the open book on her lap.

 ** _Breaking mate bonds between an alpha and an omega require a prolonged physical separation between the pair. The length of time it will take to become unbonded will vary, but the shortest ever recorded is 10 days._**

 ** _During this separation period, the alpha and omega must not have any physical contact with each other. They should avoid coming into contact with their ex-partner's scent on personal items, living areas, and other persons._**

 ** _Both alpha and omega will typically fall ill during this separation period, as a result of the cessation of scenting, which is vital to a mated pair's general well-being. Physical symptoms are similar to the common flu while the mental symptoms can include anxiety, irritability, depression, and trauma._**

 ** _The severity of the symptoms will vary based on the strength of the mate bond. In some rare and extreme cases, breaking a mate bond can be fatal._**

 _Well fuck. This is going to suck like a bag of dicks._

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

About the mate bite scene. Most commonly in A/B/O or Omegaverse fics, mate bites are done during sex between the alpha and the omega/beta. I was originally going to write the mate bite while Yuzu and Mei are bangin' during Yuzu's heat, but then I decided to do it a different way (as you've read). Although it might seem out of character for Mei, let's not forget that homegirl forcibly french kissed her never-been-kissed stepsister the first day she met her. So yah, I was going for a parallel there, FITE ME.

Drop a comment and let me know what you think of the chap! I had my wife beta-read this chapter and she was basically like, this chapter is sad, and I don't like Mei. And I'm like, but, but! ::lower lip tremble::


	4. Consequences

Mei groaned, and the sound could be heard all the way down to the Fiction section. A second year looked up from her Murakami novel, startled.

 _How the hell did I screw up so badly?_

With a heavy heart, Mei noted the page number with the information on breaking mate bonds and stood up to check out the book. There was still ten minutes until class started and Mei walked slowly from the library, deep in thought on how to sever their mate bond in the least painful way possible. Obviously, they couldn't sleeping in the same bed anymore. Whoever up there conspired to have them share a bed had a sick sense of humor. _Really, what the hell? We're eighteen year olds for fuck's sake._

Mei frowned, a nagging feeling pulling her out of her thoughts. It concerned Yuzu, but it didn't feel like the threat of an alpha. It felt like a yappy puppy nipping at her heels.

"Aihara Yuzu!"

Mei followed Himeko's shrill voice into the courtyard. Himeko was chasing Yuzu across the lawn. Yuzu was leaping over hedges in a rare show of athleticism to get away from her pursuer, but the vice president was gaining ground on her stepsister.

"We need to talk! You will come here this instant!" Himeko hollered.

"Not today, Satan!" Yuzu sassed back, arms pumping and chest heaving.

Closing her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose and exhaling loudly, Mei stepped in between the two girls.

"Himeko! Yuzu!" Mei ordered the two omegas. "Stop running."

They both skidded to a halt, with Yuzu stopping a few feet behind Mei.

Himeko stood glaring at Yuzu behind Mei's head, her hands balled fists. She looked like she was physically restraining herself from ripping Yuzu's face off with her bare hands. _This bitch._

"It's almost time for class. Go on now, both of you," Mei stated evenly, still in her alpha voice. "Quietly."

Himeko didn't have the fortitude to even try and resist a direct order from the alpha, so she begrudgingly started walking to their classroom, silently fuming. She was still feeling quite murderous.

Himeko had been waiting, for what felt like forever, for Mei. She had been there for Mei since they were kids. Remained loyal and supportive and unwavering. After she presented as an omega at fourteen, she asked (begged) Mei to be her mate. Sure, it kinda stung when Mei politely refused, telling her that they were way too young for that, and she didn't want it to affect their friendship. Yeah, it stung a little bit, maybe she cried for days. Weeks? But you know, she got over it, _kind of_ , she wasn't like obsessed with Mei or anything. And sure when other omegas started presenting as they grew older each one inevitably tried to offer themselves up to the Aihara heiress. But Mei would always firmly but politely turn them down.

But then here comes this gyaru bimbo who has caused the student council nothing but agitation since the day she showed up with that blonde dye job and ridiculous bow and _pink_ blouse – really her whole person was against school regulation. And she was a terrible student. She never did her homework! Even the easy ones! She was practically a barbarian. She was an irresponsible, impulsive, rule-breaking troublemaker.

 _How the fuck is this train wreck mated to Mei? What is happening?_

Himeko wanted to throw herself on the ground and start screaming. But she didn't, because she was a big girl. She was the vice president of the Aihara Academy student council. She had a stiff upper lip made of steel.

Clearly, something wrong happened. Mei mated Yuzu by _mistake_.

And Himeko was going to set it right.

* * *

By the time Chemistry came around, Yuzu was exhausted. Part of it was her tanking adrenaline after being chased by Himeko (she really hated running), but also from trying to endure all the reactions to her recently mated status to the school's top alpha. Every way she turned, girls gawked and stared. The one or two alphas she ran into gave her a wide berth, at least. And also, she was tired because she hardly got any sleep last night.

 _That was the first time I've seen Mei awake after 11:00pm on a school night._

Heat rose to Yuzu's face when she thought about the weekend they spent together mostly naked. It seemed like some kind of dream, that she and Mei had been intimate. Her stomach flipped when she remembered falling asleep with Mei's arms wrapped around her, her face tucked into the crook of Mei's shoulder.

That was another reason why Yuzu was exhausted. Mei had been avoiding her all day.

 _I mean, she never really talked to me in school, unless I was getting in trouble. But we're mated now! You don't mate with someone and never even talk to them._

It wasn't like a huge deal, but not being near Mei was uncomfortable. Like something didn't sit quite right with her body that the alpha was so far away, so distant, so separate. Sure, Mei's scent was on her, and Yuzu drew on it to comfort herself throughout the day. But knowing that Mei was in the vicinity but she was so far away. It made her body buzz, like a tuning fork twanging incessantly, uselessly, into an empty room.

She felt cold, and she yearned for Mei's warmth. Sure, the alpha was also known as the ice queen—but Yuzu knew how hot she could burn. _For her. Only for her. Obviously. She was Mei's mate._

Yuzu was one of the last students to enter the chem lab. She looked around the large room and started walking towards the back of the room to where she spotted Nio already sitting on a stool at their lab station.

The alpha was reading over the experiment notes when her head snapped up and she wrinkled her nose as Yuzu approached.

"Um, you stink," Nio said sourly.

"Um, rude." Yuzu slipped into the stool across from Nio on the table.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to come out," Nio gave her a tight smile, almost genuinely apologetic. "But to me you smell like a pack of rabid wolves after they've torn apart like a moose or some shit in Alaska." She gave a little laugh before wrinkling her nose again. "It's gonna trigger my asthma."

Yuzu frowned at the papers on the table. She knew that the way alphas smell other alphas was pretty complex, and they sometimes found the scent of an alpha on another person wholly unpleasant. If there was bad blood between the alphas – the scent could smell downright nauseating.

Yuzu mumbled, "Well there's nothing I can do about it unfortunately. Sorry about your asthma."

Nio lips quirked into a lopsided smile. "Aihara-san apparently wanted to be…aggressively clear to any alpha about her claim on you."

The blonde still had her head ducked staring at the paper, but a smile tugged on her lips. The fact that Mei was all possessive over her mollified her just a little bit. Almost made up for the fact that the girl didn't come near her at all once classes started. Almost.

"If you ask me, it's a little over the top," Nio rolled her eyes. "Like, we get it, hands off, she's yours. Don't have to layer it so _thick_."

Yuzu looked up at the petite girl and gave an apologetic smile. "Do you want to change partners? We still can. I can make Harumi's partner switch with me."

Nio stared at her for a long moment with an inscrutable expression, but then she exhaled and gave Yuzu a sly smile. "No, it's okay. I want you to be my partner." She gave the blonde a wink and then motioned that they should begin their work.

* * *

Himeko entered the student council office and locked the door behind her. She stood by the door and watched Mei flipping through a notepad while seated on a chair.

Mei slowly raised her head to look up the papers towards Himeko. In truth, she had already known what the girl's intentions were the moment she opened the door. Mei caught the scent of omega pheromones, sickly sweet, yearning and desperate. It unfurled into the room, thick and cloying. Mei schooled her expression into practiced neutrality, but inside she cringed.

"I've finished the after-school rounds. Everyone's gone home," Himeko reported.

"Thank you, Himeko. You should head home as well," Mei stated, resisting the urge to infuse her voice with power, to drop it an octave lower, to bend the omega to her will. _Just go home, please._

Himeko slowly approached Mei who was sitting at the head of the conference table, trailing her fingertips along the side of the gleaming polished wood. When she was standing in front of the seated girl, Himeko sank down to her knees, so that her head was just below Mei's own.

Mei knew of course why Himeko was kneeling in front of her, so that she would be looking _down_ at the omega, and not up. An unmated omega in an explicitly submissive position coupled with the heated scent rolling off her should be pretty potent to any alpha. Even if said alpha was mated. Goosebumps peaked on the skin of Mei's arms. _Oh my god, get the fuck off._

Himeko placed her hands on Mei's lap and gazed up at her with supplication and determination shining in her eyes. "You're working too hard again, President." She gently pulled the papers from Mei's grip and placed them on the table. Leaning forward and pressing her face against Mei's clavicle, she whispered, "Let me help you relieve some of that tension."

Frankly, the thought made Mei's teeth hurt and her stomach turn. Not that Himeko was gross, but...no. She resisted the urge to shove the smaller girl back until she was flat on her ass. Or scramble out of her chair and get the fuck out of there.

 _Be nice. She's been your friend since you were kids. One more gentle put down won't kill you._

Mei gripped the other girl's shoulders to stop her ascent to her neck.

"What's going on with you? You're acting strange. Get up, please."

But Himeko was prepared for resistance. She surged on, sliding her hands up Mei's thighs under her skirt and her face up the column of Mei's neck. She was so close to Mei's scent gland, and when she pressed her lips on the spot below her ear, she swallowed back her gag reflex. Aihara Yuzu had scented her alpha, as all mated pairs do. This close, Himeko felt like she might as well be licking up the side of the blonde's face. _Oh god, don't throw up, don't throw up. Concentrate!_

Mei wrenched Himeko's wrists from her lap and used them to push the vice president off her. "Stop that! What do you think you're doing? We're in school!"

"The door is locked. And the school is practically empty," Himeko countered, looking churlish. _You are going to make out with me right the fuck now!_

"I'm mated!" Mei hissed, indignant. She hadn't meant to say it quite so loudly. It was the first time she uttered the words aloud, or even acknowledging the concept fully. When the words flew out of her mouth, a satisfied, content, warm feeling settled in her stomach. Grounding her, a tether she didn't realize she so completely craved, until now. Like the right key turning in a lock, like a hand slipping into a glove.

"And why _are_ you?" Himeko's face twisted into a grimace. "Mated…to Aihara Yuzu? That's simply _ridiculous_." She shook her head in disbelief and yanked her wrists out of Mei's grip. She closed her eyes in a deep breath before opening them again to lock her gaze with the alpha. "What does she have that I don't?" demanded Himeko.

Mei winced. She had an expression on her face that Himeko couldn't name, one she had never seen in the girl's face before. Mei just kept quiet and shook her head slightly, refusing to answer the omega's question.

"It was because of her heat, wasn't it?" Himeko demanded, fisting the fabric of Mei's skirt. "She _forced_ you give her a mate bite, and you couldn't say no—"

"That's enough!"

"Because there's no other sane reason why you would be mated to her!"

"I said—" Mei pushed Himeko away with one hand on the middle of her chest, holding the girl at arm's length. "—that's enough!"

With her other hand, Mei scooted her chair back and stood up quickly. She snatched her schoolbag and strode to the door. Holding the door open, Mei glanced at a dejected-looking Himeko standing by her abandoned chair. "Go home, Himeko." This time, it was an order.

Mei walked calmly out of the student council office, her heart knocking in her chest. Her shirt collar felt like a vice around her neck, and she roughly tugged on the knot of her tie. She gripped the strap of her schoolbag slung over her shoulder, squeezing until pain bloomed in her hand.

It was already twilight, and Mei was grateful to slip into the darkened hallways of the academy. Walking in the darkness, no one saw her. No one saw her every move. No one scrutinized her every decision. No one expected her to be _little miss perfect_.

Mei took several calming breaths. She had to be clear-headed about this whole situation. She couldn't let anybody else aggravate her already precarious mental state. It was a miracle that she held it together all day. _What a shit day._

Their mate bond was completely her fault. Because she couldn't control herself. It still amazed her how it happened. As an alpha, her biology drew her to an unmated omega, but giving Yuzu a claim bite out of the blue was _not_ normal. Not appropriate, at all, by any standards. Hell, being mated at eighteen was a little uncommon by itself. The fact that it was non-consensual slowly rose to the surface of Mei's mind, and she instantly felt nauseous.

 _I need to fix this._ She got them in this mess, and she had to mitigate the damage, which meant that they had to physically separate as soon as possible, before their mate bond grew stronger.

 _It's going to suck. We'll probably be sick for days._

A fresh wave of guilt rolled through her and for the hundredth time that day she wished that she could take it back.

 _She'll hate me for making her go through the worst flu she'll ever experience. But I have to do this._

 _Fuck my life._

Still moving noiselessly through the shadowed hallways, Mei pondered whether she should stay at her father's or grandfather's house. She should really stay at her grandfather's house. The old man was sick and probably drowning in isolation and misery, but at the same time she couldn't bear his scrutiny. And she would have to lie about the reason why she was there, because he can't know about her and Yuzu, obviously. Mei sighed, conflicted. In any case, she couldn't stay there tonight, because she would get there way too late and she didn't want to disturb the household. Tonight at least, she would stay at her father's house, and she could make the decision tomorrow about where she would stay in the long term.

She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice Yuzu standing by the metal doors at the end of the hallway. When she finally caught Yuzu's scent, her eyes snapped up and saw the omega looking straight at her. Her body was canted to one side leaning against the the wall, and she had a shy smile on her face that looked inviting and dangerous at the same time.

Mei's steps faltered slightly.

 _Shit. Oh, shit. Abort. Abort._

But she had to pass through these doors to exit the building. Her legs kept walking and she reached the end of the hallway. The raven-haired girl greeted her stepsister with a cordial, "Hello, Yuzu. Were you waiting for me?"

The blonde's mouth quirked before she replied, "Yes, I was. I tried to catch you after the bell rang but you practically flew out of the room."

"Oh," Mei said with forced lightness. "I just had a lot of work to do after class. In the student council office. We're very busy right now."

Yuzu raised an eyebrow. "And were you very busy all day too?"

"Yes, very busy." Mei had enough presence of mind to adopt a look of weariness.

"Oh, poor baby." Yuzu purred, taking a step forward and wrapping her fingers around Mei's elbows. Yuzu's sultry voice washed over Mei like a warm caress. She suppressed a shudder.

 _Abort! Abort!_

Mei cleared her throat and moved closer to the door, making it clear that she wanted to pass through. "Yes. And I have more work still. I…we should go now."

Yuzu was faintly amused at Mei resembling a skittish animal as she was practically scrambling to get through the door. She didn't let go of Mei's arms and simply followed her movements, like a bloodhound on the scent.

"Mei, why are you trying to get away from me?" Yuzu asked, genuinely curious. The brunette's back hit the cold metal door.

"I'm not trying to get away from you!" Mei closed her eyes tightly to block out her stepsister, knowing she was being extra. But Yuzu's sweet omega scent was overpowering in such close proximity, hijacking her cognitive functions. _Must. Separate. Break. Bond._

Yuzu sighed. Mei was such a difficult person to understand. She thought that by being mated, she would somehow form a telepathic link that would let her read her stepsister's mind, but that wasn't the case. Apparently, you still had to use your words. _Dumb._

Yuzu raised her hand and gently cupped Mei's cheek, and the girl's eyes opened slowly, emotions swirling behind amethyst orbs. "Well I really missed you today. I was under the impression that being mated meant we would be together for a few minutes each day at the very least."

Yuzu watched Mei's throat work, but her stepsister remained silent.

Mei decided to just stand very still _. Don't make any sudden movements._

The omega was tired, and she just wanted her alpha. But it seemed her stepsister wanted to play a bizarre game of cat and mouse, and she had no choice but to play along. _God! Girls and their head games. All right, time to bring out the big guns._

Yuzu lowered the hand that was on the other girl's cheek and touched the knot of her necktie with the tips of her fingers. Lashes lowered, she regarded the expertly tied Balthus knot and said in a low, silky voice, "Your tie is loose, Mei."

She curled her fingers around the knot and started adjusting. Her actions as she straightened the necktie were slow and deliberate. Mei found the intimate act unbelievably erotic. The blonde was essentially holding her by the neck with one hand, and she was pulling on the bottom of the tie with the other. Tugging on her collar...like a leash. Mei found herself leaning in.

Yuzu's tongue was already darting out to lick into her mouth the moment their lips made contact, effectively capturing hers. The taste of Yuzu's mouth made Mei's nerve endings sing, flooding all her senses, all restraint flying out her head. Her omega's lips felt so soft, so utterly delicious, she couldn't think of anything else but the blonde kissing her passionately. She wrapped an arm around Yuzu's waist and pulled her close.

The kiss became more heated, and Mei's alpha scent flared around them. It coiled around Yuzu's mind, heightening her pleasure, making her knees weak, and Mei had to tighten her hold around her waist. She made a small whine when she felt Mei's teeth clamp on her lower lip, throwing her arms around the brunette's neck.

Mei gently released the omega's lip and started a trail of kisses along her jaw, mouthing on a fluttering pulse point. When she arrived at her intended destination on Yuzu's neck, she pulled back slightly to gaze at the mate bite she had left there the night before. She made a satisfied hum at seeing her mark on the omega, and then licked the mate bite.

A long moan rose up from Yuzu's stomach and fell from her mouth with a shudder that trembled through her chest. The alpha's tongue tracing her mate bite sent spikes of white hot pleasure shooting down her spine, and her whole body clenched around the sensation. With each stroke of Mei's tongue on the sensitive, puckered flesh on her neck, Yuzu felt the alpha staking her claim on her again, and again, and again.

Mei's whole world was reduced to her omega, and the only thing she was aware of was Yuzu in her arms, the taste of copper from her mate bite, her intoxicating scent, her breathy moans. She was holding her mate in her arms, it wasn't a dream. Her mind sang _mine, mine, mine, mine._

When Mei switched to sucking on the mate bite, the fire that was building in Yuzu's core flamed hot and bright. A trembling whine erupted from her throat before she could even think to suppress it. She felt Mei's hands start to crawl up the bare skin of her stomach, and her eyes started to roll back in her head, but the process was interrupted by a loud clattering sound from the other end of the hallway.

The sound was so loud in the empty school building that it pierced through the haze of lust like a lightning bolt, and both girls jumped apart instinctively.

The realization that they had been intensely making out in a school hallway struck Mei immediately, but just as swiftly, she crushed the panic that clawed in her chest, severing it like a useless limb. She simply ran a hand down her dark green blazer to smooth out the wrinkles in her uniform and picked up her schoolbag from the floor.

She turned to Yuzu who was looking a bit dazed and said with a wistful smile, "Yuzu, go ahead without me. I've got something important to do."


	5. Heart

It was lunch period, but Yuzu wasn't sitting with her friends talking and laughing and eating. No, Yuzu was stalking the halls of Aihara Academy, looking for Mei. Looking for her goddamn _mate._ The mate who didn't come home last night. The mate whose seat was conspicuously empty this morning in class.

Under normal circumstances, Yuzu would have freaked out when her stepsister didn't come home or show up in their class. But the blonde had a feeling something was up when Mei insisted Yuzu go on ahead without her after their little 'moment' last night. Mei had that expression on her face— the one that indicated that she was going through intense inner turmoil. Her expression that made her look like the saddest bitch in the world. The one she often wore when her daddy issues came up _. Surely, it wasn't their torrid makeout session – which was hot as fuck by the way – that caused Mei to look like that, right? Because if it was, Jesus. Talk about a blow to a girl's ego._

Earlier, during first period Civics, Yuzu had asked to go to the bathroom. Following a hunch and her inner compass, she had walked by the other first-year classrooms and peered through the window of 3-B. Sure enough, Mei was sitting in a chair near the front. The blonde had fumed and glared at her stepsister's back, shooting daggers through the window. Yuzu had thought she'd seen Mei's spine stiffen, but the brunette had kept her eyes to the front and didn't turn around.

Now, Yuzu quickened her pace as she approached the student council office, knowing it was likely that she would find her stepsister there. Standing in front of the door, the blonde rubbed her temples. She had a feeling that this was going to be a confrontation with her stepsister. She took a deep breath and knocked sharply on the door. _You better have a damn good reason why you left me alone last night._ Nothing short of an alien abduction was acceptable.

Kayo's face appeared when the door swung open halfway. Yuzu thanked her lucky stars that it wasn't Himeko who opened the door. She couldn't deal with eyebrows right now, but she and Kayo were cool.

Yuzu got straight to the point, not able to stop the anxiety creeping into her voice. "Maruta-san, is Mei here?"

Something flashed across Kayo's face for a second, an expression that looked suspiciously like pity. The upperclassman gave her a kind smile and turned to look behind her. "President, Aihara-san is here to see you."

Behind Kayo, Yuzu saw Mei slowly rise from the long table in the back. She felt the trepidation in the pit of her stomach flare and crawl its way up her chest. When Mei came to the door, she was wearing that impenetrable mask, her expression devoid of emotion. But Yuzu knew her stepsister, and she could tell that the girl was distressed. Her eyes were troubled and her scent was sharp and acidic. _Ok, just keep it together. You're going to have a nice, adult talk with your mate._

"We need to talk," Yuzu mumbled. "In private."

Mei simply nodded and started walking down the hall. Yuzu followed, knowing Mei was heading for the Chairman's office.

Mei walked calmly to her grandfather's office, mentally running through the things she was going to say to Yuzu. She had already rehearsed this a couple of times, aloud even. She had written up a list of talking points. _You got this. She'll be mad at you, but you're doing the right thing for her. For both of you._

Mei entered the Chairman's office first and held the door open for Yuzu. After the blonde crossed the threshold, Mei closed it behind her. She took those few seconds to compose herself before she walked to the middle of the room where her stepsister was standing tensely. When she looked at Yuzu's face, her emerald eyes were dark with concern and worry.

"What's going on, Mei? Why didn't you come home last night?"

"Because we need to break our mate bond, Yuzu. And we can't do that if we sleep in the same bed."

Yuzu's face twisted in confusion. "What?"

This was one of the reactions that Mei had expected and prepared for, but her hands started trembling as she began her prepared argument. "Our mate bond – it was a… _I_ made a mistake. But we have to break it. In order to do that we have to be physically apart."

Yuzu's eyes went wide and her mouth hung open for a few seconds. When she recovered, she sputtered, "Wh-what? What are you saying, Mei? You want to…why?" Yuzu put her palm on her forehead and pressed down. "This is a joke, right?" _Oh god, please say this is a joke._

Mei felt a stab of pain in the middle of her chest at the look of panic and hurt in Yuzu's face. "It's not a joke, Yuzu. What I did, giving you a mate bite, it was wrong. It was totally against your will, and there aren't enough words to say how sorry I am."

A look of agreement flashed across Yuzu's face, but she was also still cringing. She gave a helpless little shrug, then gestured for the other girl to continue to explain.

"So I need to fix it. Fix this. We need to break our mate bond. By physically separating. For a month, probably. Maybe more. Then after we're unmated, I guess I can come home."

Yuzu screwed her eyes tight and grasped at her hair. Then she exhaled loudly as she opened her eyes. "Ok, first off – let's just back up a little here. You gave me a mate bite, correct. I have to admit I was a little shocked. It was a little unexpected. You and I haven't exactly gotten along really well."

This was an understatement. The two had a severely antagonistic relationship ever since that fateful day when Yuzu showed up as a transfer student to Aihara Academy and Mei embarrassed her in front of the whole school by giving her a full body frisk and confiscating her smartphone as if she were a disobedient child. Their conflicts only escalated after finding out they were stepsisters and had to share a bedroom. Right before Yuzu presented as omega they had declared a truce, but the stepsisters had still spent more time being antagonistic than not.

"But you can't just make this decision to be unmated by yourself." Yuzu crossed her arms across her chest and leveled the dark haired girl with a determined look. "Because it involves the both of us. Last time I checked, I was one half of this pair."

Mei sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She mentally picked over the parts of Yuzu's rebuttal that she wanted to address and which ones she wanted to ignore. "Yuzu, there is no decision to be made here. We _have_ to unmate. And the sooner we break it off, the easier it'll be for both us."

"Easier?"

"It's supposed to hurt. When a mated pair breaks their bond, it'll be very uncomfortable. Physically." Mei bit her lip, her eyes wide and full of apology. "I'm so sorry, Yuzu. You'll feel sick for several days…maybe weeks."

Yuzu, still with her arms crossed, quirked one side of her mouth into an uneasy smile, and silently shook her head at her stepsister. _Listen to this bitch._

"I'm not agreeing to this, Mei. You're not going to steamroll me into your one-sided decision. Not this time." Yuzu refused to believe that this separation for a month thing was a fait accompli. _Ridiculous._

"Yuzu, please. I know that you're upset that I didn't talk to you about this. But I spent all day yesterday thinking about this. There's no way around it." Mei looked squarely at Yuzu and said with conviction, "We have to unbond."

The moment Mei said those words, a chill skittered up her spine. It was beginning—the moment that she had to start pushing Yuzu away for real. She could already feel her mate start to slip away from her, even if it was infinitesimal. She could feel it acutely.

The blonde abruptly stepped forward towards Mei, invading her space. Her eyes wide, Yuzu looked into Mei's eyes, searching for hidden reasons and emotions in those stormy depths. Not finding answers, she whispered, "What if I don't want to?"

Mei's heart seized at those words, and was barely able to stop a gasp from slipping past her lips. She averted her eyes, not able to look at Yuzu's face anymore, especially when the other girl was so close. _You're making this so hard for me_. She struggled to form a reply around the lump that had formed in her throat. "We can't," her voice a raspy whisper.

"But why?" Yuzu asked softly. "I know we're like polar opposites, but this weekend…" Her voice trailed off. "You felt it too, didn't you?"

Mei slowly turned her head to gaze into Yuzu's face. So open and nakedly honest. Yuzu's lips curled into a small, hopeful smile. She felt a cold hand close around her heart.

"We can make it work. Just give me a chance, Mei. Give _us_ a chance."

Mei could hear her own heartbeat in her ears. For a second, she entertained the hopeless fantasy of being with Yuzu, of giving them a chance. Like she deserved whatever Yuzu was offering. It took all of her concentration and willpower to erect the walls around her mind, preventing Yuzu's entreaty from crumbling her defenses. _It can't work. It won't work. A relationship? These things aren't meant for me._

The raven-haired girl clenched her jaw, clamping down on all her emotions and desires. Her most fervent hopes and dreams had never come true before, and it was foolish to start believing it was going to start now. Especially not when it concerned her stepsister. Her stepsister who lived and loved freely, unbound by all the conventions and responsibilities that she was burdened by. Yuzu was a spring flower, effervescent. Mei didn't belong in any kind of future with Yuzu, so it was reckless and imprudent to actually be mated to her, even for just the time being. _Don't. Don't kid yourself._

Mei's voice was surprisingly firm when she said, "There's no way this is going to work, Yuzu. There is no _us_. Don't kid yourself."

Yuzu recoiled as if she was slapped, shock and hurt in her eyes. Her lower lip trembling, Yuzu grit out, "Then why did you give me a mate bite? Why did you make me your mate if us being together is…impossible?"

"I told you. I lost control. I think it was your heat. It made me illogical. When you were talking about other alphas, it triggered my territorial tendencies," Mei recited. "But I didn't mean to."

"You didn't mean to…" Yuzu sucked in a breath through her teeth. Her gaze sharp. "So you're saying you made a fucking mistake by biting me and making me your mate?"

"I mean…." Mei said, hesitantly. "Yes?"

"And why am I such a mistake, Mei? Because I'm train wreck? Because I'm flunking all my classes? Because I'm an embarrassment to the Aihara name? Because I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth?"

Her rapid fire questions flustered Mei and it took her a moment to respond. "What? No. Don't be ridiculous, Yuzu."

"Then why are you throwing me aside like I'm worthless?!" Yuzu screamed.

Mei flinched, stunned. Neither of them expected the vehemence that came out of the blonde. Mei registered the spiking hormones in Yuzu's scent, prickly and hot and agitated.

"I'm not—" Mei started, but then failed to finish her thought because the idea that she was getting rid of Yuzu was ridiculous. "Yuzu, please don't be dramatic. You're…just fine the way you are."

Mei didn't think Yuzu was 'just fine.' Every fiber of the alpha yearned for the omega standing before her. Knowing that this was the last time she would be standing in front of Yuzu as her mate filled her with black despair.

Yuzu did not appreciate being called _dramatic_. She was tired of Mei always minimizing her feelings. Anger started to bubble up from the pit of her stomach, and not able to stand still any longer, she started to walk around her stepsister.

"Cut the shit, Mei. Just say that I'm not good enough for you," Yuzu hissed.

"This isn't about you!"

"If it's not about me, then it's about you, isn't it?" Yuzu gave a short bitter laugh. "Of course. The ice queen, student council president, can't be associated with someone like me. I'm a _liability_."

Mei snapped her head towards the blonde the moment she uttered _ice queen_. _Oh no you didn't._ Yuzu knew how much she hated being called that. Mei barely stifled several retorts she wanted to hurl back, choice words for Yuzu on the tip of her tongue.

Yuzu caught the shift in Mei's scent— a warning for danger, tangy and astringent. Skating on thin ice.

Ignoring the warning, Yuzu rounded on Mei, tossing out tightly, "At least I don't walk around like I have a stick up my ass and think I'm better than everyone."

It was a low blow; the aim precise. Yuzu knew she had cut deep. A dark cloud passed over the raven-haired girl's features, and she watched Mei's amethyst eyes harden, mirroring the sudden spike in Mei's scent. Sharp frost and biting cold cut through the air.

Rage rolled through Mei, scorching with indignation and retaliation. _Claws out, eh? I can rip you to shreds._

"And if I'm the way I am because I have a stick up my ass," Mei asked with malice dripping from her tone. "What's your excuse?"

The two stepsisters circled each other, the tension palpable. All it needed was one incendiary word for it all to go up in flames. Mei didn't care about anything; all she had was an all-consuming urge to burn everything to the ground.

"What's _your_ reason for your lack of self-esteem? Why can't you even wear a simple uniform properly? And really, the blonde hair?" Mei sneered.

Yuzu stopped circling, her eyes widening. Her shoulders jumped slightly, self-consciousness apparent in her whole body. Her fingers tentatively touched her hair, as if confirming that it wasn't messy and looked all right. Mei wasn't sure whose heart she could feel breaking. Yuzu loved her hair, and Mei did too.

But her injured pride and temper were leeching poison into her words, pushing words out of her mouth before she could even reflect on them. She was a spectator, helpless to influence the scene that was spinning out of control.

"Well I know why you do all that. Because you're starved for attention." _Stop._

"Mother's so busy that she hardly notices how you're doing in school. And in school you don't excel in anything. So you dress and act like that so that at least you'll stand out for _something._ " _You need to stop._

"But now that you've presented as an omega, everyone will know who you are. So you can stop acting out for attention." _Stop it stop it stop talking._ "Because it's pathetic."

The back of Yuzu's hand flew to her face to cover her mouth, a breath hitching painfully in her chest. In the second before the tears sprang to her stepsister's eyes, Mei saw a light snuffed out in those emerald orbs. She had a front row seat to her stepsister's heart breaking, and it had to be the most painful thing she had ever witnessed. She had gone too far, and she destroyed something very fundamental with their relationship. With one fell swoop, the tie that bound them was severed, and her heart was torn asunder.

With tears streaking down her face, Yuzu choked out, "You are a horrible person, Mei. I wish I had never met you." Then she turned on her heels and ran out of the room, the door flung open behind her.

Standing alone in the middle the Chairman's office, Mei pressed a closed fist to her chest, trying to calm the thunderous beat of heart. Her knees weak, she staggered backwards until the small of her back hit the large mahogany desk.

Learning against it, she wrapped her arms around herself tightly, desperately trying to quell the maelstrom of emotions that were threatening to wrench out of her in ugly, broken cries of despair. This went so much worse than she had imagined.

 _It's over. She's gone. She's really gone._

With those thoughts, the dam finally broke. Biting hard on her forearm, she muffled the sound of the sobs that wracked her body.

* * *

Matsuri entered the bedroom and quietly closed the door behind her when she saw that Yuzu had finally fallen asleep. She placed the bowl of instant noodles she made in the kitchen on the desk. Picking up her phone, she thumbed the home button to see the notifications on her phone. Nothing but a few messages from her gamer buddies. She frowned, but she couldn't pinpoint who she wanted to hear from.

Sighing, she walked towards the bed and sat on the edge. She studied her best friend's sleeping face and noted how red and puffy it was.

Matsuri was thankful that Yuzu had finally fallen asleep from exhaustion. At least she wouldn't be crying anymore. For now, at least. Matsuri dreaded when Yuzu would wake up and inevitably remember that Mei rejected her and their bond. _What a heartless, cold-blooded bitch._ Matsuri nearly growled when she thought of how the alpha treated her best friend. When she sees Aihara Mei, she'll trounce that trifling bitch. Or at least, give her a piece of her mind. _She can go straight to hell._

Matsuri watched Yuzu restlessly stir in her sleep, brows knitting together. Yuzu nuzzled deeper into Mei's pillow, inhaling deeply. As much as Mei's scent on the bed was assaulting Matsuri's olfactory sense like little tiny swords, she knew that the alpha's scent was the only thing that could calm Yuzu right now. The irony was not lost on the pink-haired girl.

There was nothing quite like getting a frantic phone call from your best friend because she was hyperventilating and freaking out because her alpha just decided to tell her out of the blue that they were breaking their bond, which was only slightly more shocking than the fact that said alpha gave said best friend a mate bite out of blue, completely unprovoked. It was quite distressing trying to calm your best friend who was vacillating from crying hysterically and raging at her good-for-nothing ex. There was a point when Matsuri felt like Yuzu needed to be sedated before she hurt herself. But then Yuzu gave the most heartbreaking little whimper, crawled into their bed, sought out Mei's pillow, hugged it, and the buried her face into it.

"I know right," Harumi commented, as if reading her thoughts. "Big mood."

Matsuri tore her worried eyes away from Yuzu and glanced up at the brunette sitting across the bed, on the other side of Yuzu. "Yeah," she nodded slowly.

"How long do you think it'll take to break their bond?"

"I've no idea. I mean, there are statistics and research and shit about timetables – but don't let anyone tell you it's an exact science. There are so many things that affect how long. But the biggest thing is the strength of the bond."

Harumi fiddled with the edge of the blanket that was covering Yuzu. "I know this was like really unexpected, but if I'm going to be honest, I can't say I'm totally surprised," she admitted softly. "There was always something about these two. I mean, yeah they were always at each other's throats, but have you ever like, really watched the two of them interact?"

Matsuri raised an eyebrow for her to continue.

"It's like there's a magnetic pull between them," finished Harumi.

The pink-haired girl frowned, but grunted in agreement. Of course she had noticed. She had been Yuzu's friend since they were children, and she was very familiar with the blonde's body language and what it meant. Every nervous tic. Every unconscious flirty mannerism. Every smile and frown, from the fake ones to the genuine ones. She always noted the moment Yuzu was pulled into Mei's orbit whenever the alpha came close. True, Mei had that effect on a lot people, especially omegas, but this was happening way before Yuzu presented as an omega. And it was obvious that Mei was also drawn to Yuzu by some mysterious gravitational force.

"Well, I guess she's gonna be in a bad way for a while," Matsuri concluded. "Man, it's gonna suck."

"Poor Yuzucchi. Imagine trying to move on after being broken up with by Aihara Mei."

Matsuri scowled at Harumi's choice of words to describe what Mei did to Yuzu. "I'm more worried about what's going to happen after she gets over Mei."

"What do you mean?" Harumi cocked her head in question.

Matsuri scooted farther up the bed and laid on her elbows. She turned her head towards Yuzu and sniffed the air a little. "Right now, Mei's scent is still on Yuzu. It's slightly weaker than it was when I smelled it on her yesterday morning. I'm going to guess that Mei scented her again sometime yesterday. But that's going to be the last time. Ever," Matsuri said with finality.

"Mei's scent on her will keep fading. She'll feel sick, for sure." Matsuri gestured at the sheets on the bed. "She'll have Mei's scent on the bed and some clothes that she has here, but in about a week that will completely fade and won't give her any comfort anymore."

Harumin nodded, understanding that when that time came, Yuzu will be a wreck. And the image of Yuzu clinging to Mei's lingering scent on the damn sheets was so tragic, she felt the urge to set fire to Mei's desk.

"But it won't take long at all for the alphas in school to notice that Mei's claim on Yuzu is fading. For the first couple of weeks they might think that Mei just isn't scenting her on the regular, which is fucking weird by the way. But when Mei's scent is almost gone from Yuzu, they'll know that she's unmated."

Harumi met Matsuri's worried eyes across the bed, over their sleeping friend.

"Azuma's pack," Harumi said in a low voice, the memory of that morning when they sauntered up to Yuzu fresh in her mind.

"Sure, them." Matsuri counted off her fingers the members of the alpha pack. "Azuma Tokaku, Inukai Isuke, Sagae Haruki, Hanabusa Sumireko, Takechi Otoya, Namatame Chitaru. And you know, the rest of the alphas in the school. There are 20 alphas in Aihara Academy, including me," reminded Matsuri.

"I never thought to count them before," Harumi shrugged.

"When you're an alpha, your priorities are finding out all the other alphas, if there's a pack around, what their hierarchy is, and who is top alpha," Matsuri smiled ruefully. "Anyway," she continued, "you can bet your fine ass that they will all come sniffing around once Mei's scent really starts to wane."

"Yeah."

"I'm worried about when she goes into heat," Matsuri confided in a quiet voice. "I mean hopefully she won't be a dumbass and she'll actually stay home. But it's still a dangerous time. The first few times of an omega's heat – they can't predict the exact day it will come yet, and it can happen unexpectedly."

Harumi furrowed her brow and worried her lower lip. "Shit."

For the first time in her life Matsuri regretted that she was a lone wolf and didn't roll with other alphas. She didn't fuck with other alphas but she might have to, now. If only to give Yuzu a little more security.

"We're just going to have to keep an eye out for Yuzucchi, I guess," Harumi said.

Matsuri nodded absentmindedly, gears turning in her head. "Yeah. Her heat wont come for another two and half months to three months, so we have some time to figure something out."

Matsuri gently patted the sleeping girl's arm that was wrapped around her stepsister's pillow like a lifesaver. _Don't worry Yuzu-chan. I'll keep you safe._


	6. Broken

_Three weeks later._

The whole student body of Aihara Academy was currently in the auditorium for the monthly general assembly. Students were seated by grade, with the first years in the front row, second years in the middle, and the third years in the back.

Fuji Mineko was at the podium currently droning on about the importance of living by the principles of Aihara Academy in order to develop into ideal young women. The student council and a few of the faculty sat on the stage behind Fuji-sensei, waiting for their turn to address the assembly.

Yuzu, sitting in the last row occupied by the first years, fidgeted in her chair. Per usual in the last three weeks, she felt worn out and drained, and she wanted to just slink down in the chair, close her eyes, and fall asleep. She flicked her eyes towards the stage, and then lowered her eyelids again a split second later. Her jaw clenched at the searing stab of pain in her chest.

Yuzu sighed. They were only halfway through the program of the assembly, and her head was already throbbing. She tried to recall when she took her last aspirin. Only an hour ago. Damn.

The blonde omega crossed her legs and reached a hand behind her neck. She slowly dragged perfectly manicured fingertips from her nape to her clavicle, her palm brushing against the scent gland under her ear.

Several rows over, Sagae Haruki's head jerks up and the pocky stick between her lips snapped and fell to the floor. Her pupils dilated rapidly and almost completely, the gold of her irises replaced by a dark coal. Her head swiveled around trying to locate the source of the delicious, alluring scent that suddenly bloomed in the air. Beside her, Inukai Isuke started to rise from her chair before Hanabusa Sumireko yanked her back in her seat, hissing at her to control herself.

Takechi Otoya, who was sitting in the very front row, twisted around completely in her chair to look behind her. If Yuzu wasn't looking looking glumly at the floor, she would have squirmed a little bit if she saw Otoya's unabashedly predatory look directed at her.

Each alpha down on the auditorium floor was unconsciously reacting to the change in Yuzu's scent. Over the past three weeks, Aihara Mei's mate claim on the omega had gradually been fading. The claim was so potent and aggressive that it almost completely overwhelmed Yuzu's scent in the beginning.

Mei's scent was the _cold_. A killing frost, an eternal winter. Yuzu's scent had been locked within a blinding snowstorm, buried under an avalanche. But with each day that passed, the claim receded further and further, like glaciers melting. Today, it seemed the last of the frozen winter had thawed, and Yuzu's omega scent was breaking through like a triumphant spring bloom.

Every alpha that encountered the scent was afflicted by spring fever.

On the stage, Mei silently watched all the alphas sitting in Yuzu's vicinity react after the omega reached behind her hair and rubbed her neck. She could trace how Yuzu's scent wafted over the auditorium by the ripple effect on the all the alphas present. The whole student body was practically catatonic listening to Fuji-sensei drone on, but one by one the bodies of nineteen alphas twitched, like puppet strings being jerked.

Sitting beside Yuzu, Matsuri screwed her eyes shut and tipped her head back. "Yuzu, fuck. Don't do that," she groaned.

"Do what?"

"Stop flipping your hair or whatever! It's stirring up your scent."

"Pretty sure I can do whatever I fucking want," Yuzu groused. She was tired and grumpy, and she couldn't bring herself to care about whether she was inconveniencing a small subset of the population with her normal bodily actions.

The retort riled up the alpha sitting beside her. "Oh really?" Matsuri caught the blonde's wrist with her hand and stated, "If we're just doing whatever we fucking want to do then I guess I'll do this." She pulled Yuzu closer and playfully bit down on her bicep.

Yuzu gave an indignant grunt and smacked the pink-haired girl's forehead with the heel of her palm. Harumi elbowed Matsuri sharply in the ribs. Matsuri gave a good natured chuckle and turned towards Harumi sitting on the other side of her and gave the brunette exaggerated puppy dog eyes. Even Nene tittered beside Yuzu.

Sitting rigidly in her seat on the stage, Mei silently watched the antics of Yuzu and her friends. She felt a pang of jealousy from the easy, playful way they all interacted with her stepsister, something she suspected was now out of the realm of possibility for her.

For the past three weeks she had managed to avoid Yuzu almost completely, save for a handful of times they passed each other in the hallways. Mei had meticulously planned her movements in the school around Yuzu's class schedule and habits. This was the first time since their confrontation that they were in each other's presence, and she knew she should look elsewhere, but she couldn't tear her gaze away. Her eyes drank in the blonde, all her senses hungry and yearning for her stepsister. She had essentially been suffering from a painful withdrawal from the omega for the past three weeks, and now with the girl in front of her, she very much felt like an addict fiending for a hit. Anything. No matter how small. A gentle touch. A smile just for her. A few words addressed to her, ones that weren't steeped with bitterness. Her head pressed against her shoulder.

Mei curled her hands into fists and dug her nails into her palms.

A torturous half hour later, the general assembly finally ended and the students filed out of the auditorium. Mei watched her stepsister walk down the aisle until she disappeared through the entrance doors.

She unclenched her hands on her lap and stared at the angry half-moon marks on her palm and the blood on her fingernails.

x X x

Yuzu twisted the tap and held her hands under the faucet for a long moment until she cupped her hands and splashed her face with the cold water. It felt good on her face, which felt like it was overheating again. By now, she was used to dealing with the fever symptoms that came intermittently, along with a host of other aches and pains that plagued her for the last three weeks. _What a fucked up thing to get used to._

She stared at her reflection in the mirror. She noted the dark circles under her eyes, which in fairness didn't look as bad as they did two days ago. Nighttime was still the hardest time of the day for her, when she was lying in bed. Her whole body in pins and needles, every nerve alive with the awareness that Mei wasn't lying beside her in their bed. Obviously, these days her sleep was shit. Although it's gotten a bit better the past few days.

It was going to be bad again tonight though. Seeing her stepsister at the school assembly renewed the ache that sat behind her heart ever since the day of Mei's rejection. Today it pained her almost as much as it did on that day. Just the sight of Mei with her usual calm, cool, and collected self for one second was enough to rip open the wound that Yuzu had been carefully trying to tend to these last few weeks. She screwed her eyes shut. _Fucking Mei. I'm so tired of feeling this way._

Mei, sitting prim and proper on that stage, her hands demurely folded in her lap. Her beautiful raven hair falling over the graceful slope of her shoulders. Hair that she has touched, running her fingers through their silky softness while they were locked in an intimate embrace. Those hands that had tenderly held her face while they kissed. Those hands that had touched every inch of her body, her most intimate parts, those talented hands making her _sing_ –

 _Dammit. I hate her._

Yuzu huffed loudly as she turned off the tap. She turned around to get to the hand dryer, and suddenly collided with a body right behind her. "Oh shit!"

Before she could even recognize the person she walked into, the girl's scent crashed into her like a brick wall. A heady mix of leather, sandalwood, and coffee. Earthy. Smoky. Dark. Sexy. Undeniably alpha.

"Hey, easy," Sagae Haruki said as she caught Yuzu's elbows to steady her.

The alpha's voice was like warm buttery caramel spilling out of a decadent chocolate truffle. The blonde suppressed a shiver that wanted to skitter up her back.

 _Oh my god she smells so fucking good._

"Oh I'm so sorry Sagae-san. I didn't see you there," Yuzu mumbled through the urge to throw herself at the taller girl and inhale her scent up the column of her neck like she was snorting a line of coke.

"I'm so clumsy, running into people all the time," Yuzu offered as way of apology. She frowned and looked down at the floor. She was shook from seeing Mei, and now she was going to go ahead and act a fool in front of Sagae Haruki, star athlete and resident heartthrob. _Awesome._

To Yuzu's surprise, Haruki reached towards her face and tucked some loose strands of her golden hair behind her ear. Haruki's fingertips continued to trail along her jaw until she lifted her chin with her forefinger. Haruki gazed into her face and said in a low, silky voice, "Don't worry about it. And a beautiful girl like you can run into me anytime."

Yuzu was frozen for a several long moments as she gaped at Haruki. She had never been this close to Sagae Haruki before, and _wow_ , she did have a gorgeous face. The alpha had an angular face with a jawline you could slice sashimi with, intense amber eyes that were like pools of golden honey you wanted to dive into, and full pouty lips that you wanted to, well, crash your own lips against.

The ridiculously sexy grin that slowly spread on Haruki's face snapped Yuzu out of her trance and made her realize she was just standing there and staring.

"Thanks. You can rail into me anytime too," Yuzu said and then winced. _Be cool. Be cool_. "I mean, _run_ into me anytime." She paused. "Actually, that's not," Yuzu closed her eyes in embarrassment. "What I'm saying is that I'll watch where I'm going."

The alpha smiled languidly and dropped her gaze down to Yuzu's mouth, then down past her neck, before travelling up to meet her eyes again.

The aroma of leather and sandalwood thickened in the air, the pungent scent clouding Yuzu's senses.

 _Ugh, she totally knows that she's being irresistible right now._

In a distant part of her mind Yuzu knew that she was probably easy pickings at the moment, who was at the final stages of unbonding with her ex-mate, and her omega was desperately seeking an alpha to fill the void that Mei ruthlessly and heartlessly left. But damn if Sagae Haruki wasn't the perfect specimen to slake her thirst for alpha energy. She also had that androgynous vibe going on, with the tomboy swagger which was a delicious juxtaposition to her delicate feminine features. _Girl is a five course meal I could go ham on._

Haruki, even though being one of the most popular girls in school, was down to earth and approachable. Unlike the majority of the girls in school who came from wealthy families, Haruki was in Aihara Academy on a sports scholarship. She was one of the highest-ranking triathletes in the country's high school division, and her intense training definitely showed in the incredible shape her body was in.

Yuzu found herself reaching out to touch the girl's arms, wanting to feel the muscles ripple under her hands. She had heard that Haruki was training for the Ironman triathlon in Hokkaido, and she was curious to see if Haruki's body was ready. She unconsciously licked her lips. _These arms are so strong. I bet they can hold me up all night…_

Yuzu's reverie was interrupted by the creak of the door of a bathroom stall opening. Haruki's girlfriend, Inukai Isuke, stepped out of the stall. Yuzu made a frightened squeak when she saw Isuke, partly because the alpha had always intimidated her, and partly because she was standing very close to her girlfriend. Yuzu realized that Haruki had her arms on either side of her, bracketing her body against the sink. Her own hands holding the redhead's biceps. Her rational mind dictated that she should shove Haruki away from her, but her omega wouldn't let her move away from the alpha, even in the face of imminent danger.

Inukai Isuke was famously possessive of her girlfriend, but curiously she didn't seem the least bit perturbed at the sight of Yuzu and Haruki. Instead, she wore a catlike smile on her face as she regarded the two girls. With the grace of a jaguar, Isuke walked to the sink right beside the two girls and opened the tap.

Yuzu caught a whiff of Isuke's scent as the pink-haired girl washed her hands, skin brushing against the scent glands on the inside of her wrists. Isuke mostly smelled _expensive_. Wealth and elite tastes, but definitely nouveau riche _._ Unlike the aristocratic notes that undercut Mei's winter scent, revealing her pedigree. Yuzu frowned, irritated with her habit of comparing any alpha scent to her stepsister's. _Forget her and her stupid smell._

Actually, Isuke smelled mostly like Chanel no5. Her perfume combined seamlessly with her own scent, enhancing, not overwhelming, her natural allure.

Isuke looked at Yuzu over her shoulder. "Yuzu-chan. How are you doing these days?"

Yuzu was still pinned between the sink and Haruki, as the redhead hadn't moved. Yuzu squirmed, feeling like a butterfly pinned in a collection. She felt panic crawl up her chest at her vulnerable position, but at the same time, a thrill plunged down her spine and settled in the stomach, pooling like warm honey. Isuke and Haruki were the school's power couple, two very gorgeous, attractive alphas. And here she was standing very close to the both of them.

Yuzu swallowed and said, "I'm doing well. And you, Inukai-san?"

Isuke turned fully towards the two girls as she dried her hands with a paper towel. She canted her body to one side and curled one side of her mouth in a flirtatious smile. "Well right now I'm delighted. I've been meaning to talk to you for a couple of weeks now but never got the chance."

"Oh yeah, you sent me a DM. Sorry, uh, things kind of got a little crazy for me right after I got that message. And then these past few weeks," Yuzu gave a little shrug. "I've been sick, so…"

"Don't worry about it then. Anyway, Haruki and I just wanted to let you know that we're sorry about that nastiness that went down on the day you presented as an omega," Isuke apologized in a sincere voice. "We didn't mean to scare you by approaching you as a pack."

Yuzu assumed that the "nastiness" that Isuke was referring to was the fact that their alpha pack engaged Mei in a brawl on school grounds over her virtue.

"Yeah, that wasn't cool. We were caught off guard; we had never unexpectedly encountered an omega in first heat before," Haruki added in a contrite tone. "It's not an excuse, but yeah, we're sorry for scaring you like that."

Yuzu felt her shoulders relax, her whole body releasing tension she had carrying been around for weeks. She tilted her head to look up at Haruki's face then at Isuke's. She noticed that they both had golden eyes. Both sets were full of affection for her, and maybe something…more?

A prickly chill climbed up her back, before plunging down to her stomach, clashing pleasantly with the heat that was blooming in her core.

"It's ok, I wasn't scared. I was just," Yuzu breathed heavily. "Taken aback. And Mei, she—she can be a little protective. Sometimes."

"Well," Isuke smiled and brushed the back of her fingers against Yuzu's heated cheek. "I don't blame her."

At that moment Yuzu wanted to be the moth that got drawn to these twin flames. And consumed.

"The _fuck_ is goin' on here?"

Yuzu blinked a few times after Matsuri's voice rang loudly in the bathroom. Haruki turned away from her and they both looked towards the door. Matsuri was standing there with a scowl on her face, with Harumi and Nene behind her. Apprehension was apparent in the stance of the two betas, but they were trying act like they were cool with potentially witnessing an alpha brawl.

There was a sharp glint in Isuke's eyes when she cut her gaze to the alpha who just barged in. She drew herself up to her full height, half a foot taller than Matsuri. Her voice was tight but controlled when she snapped, "What does it look like? We're talking with Yuzu."

"Oh yeah? It looks more like you're backing her into a corner and sweet talking her into a spitroast with you," Matsuri accused.

An ugly snarl erupted from Haruki at the vulgarity, and even Yuzu squawked a mortified "Matsuri!"

Bitter pheromones spiked in the air, the scent of three agitated alphas. In the enclosed space crammed with six people, the scent would soon become suffocating.

Isuke slowly stepped towards Matsuri until they were standing four feet away from other. She leveled a withering gaze at the smaller, younger alpha. "We were doing nothing of the sort. We're simply having a _private_ conversation, Mizusawa."

"Hey, Inukai?" Matsuri snapped defiantly as she glared at the taller girl. "You can suck my dick."

Isuke and Haruki were suddenly dangerously close to Matsuri, crowding her with their taller statures.

"I can make you eat your own dick, Mizusawa. Why don't we step outside and you can see who you're fucking with," Isuke said through gritted teeth. She and Haruki started walking forward, forcing Matsuri to back up towards the door.

"Hey, no one's going anywhere and eating anybody's dick," Yuzu said in a light, soothing tone as she grabbed Haruki's forearm and slipped her other hand behind Isuke's pink hair, wrapping it around the nape of her neck. "Matsuri was just joking, she didn't mean anything by it, really."

Harumi couldn't help but be a little impressed as she watched her best friend handle the two murderous alphas who were five seconds away from trouncing Matsuri. The blonde was stroking the skin on Haruki's forearm with her thumb and she was gently scratching Isuke's scalp near her nape with her fingers. Harumi could see from the shift in their eyes the moment Yuzu's gush of sweet, soothing omega pheromones entered their nostrils.

Almost instantly, Haruki and Isuke calmed down. Isuke still had a slight frown on her face, but she stepped away from Matsuri, turning towards Yuzu instead. Haruki also relaxed her posture and moved closer to Yuzu, seemingly more interested in the blonde touching her than kicking Matsuri's ass.

"So let's just all go to class now, yeah?" coaxed Yuzu.

x X x

Matsuri exited the bathroom and separated from the group that was heading back to the classroom wing, ignoring Harumi's concerned looks. The pink-haired girl wasn't even a little flustered from the little alpha pissing match that just transpired. She was fully aware she was no match for Isuke and Haruki in a physical fight, so she wasn't even going to try and play that game. Right now it was still possible to fend them off Yuzu with clever deflection and bluster.

But that wouldn't hold for long.

The alpha sighed. She didn't expect anyone to make a move on Yuzu this soon. That meant she had to start putting her own plan into place _now_.

The person Matsuri was looking for was currently in P.E. She slipped into the gym, ignoring the curious looks of the other students at seeing her wandering in on their class. She found the girl sitting by herself in the top row of the bleachers.

Matsuri bounded up the bleachers and sat down in the row below the girl. Slipping her headphones off, she turned to the alpha and said, "I know we haven't really talked before and shit, but it's about Yuzu and I need your help."


	7. Concealed

_Another three weeks later._

It was 5:30am, a full hour before her alarm would go off to get ready for school. Mei lay in her bed, staring into the darkness. She couldn't tell how long she had been awake, or if she had slept at all. Her legs and arms felt numb, but the ache in her chest was unrelenting, unforgiving.

The pain was the worst during these hours when she was supposed to be sleeping. It just meant that she had nothing to occupy her attention, and she was left alone with her tortured thoughts.

Night after night, she stared down the barrel of loneliness. As the hours dragged on, it became harder and harder to keep the darkest thoughts at bay. As the dawn approached, exhaustion took over and she was pulled under the tide and into the deep depths where her torment lay.

 _I miss you so much. I want to see you. I want to hear your voice. I am so sorry. Where are you? What are you doing? Do you think about me?_

When Mei loses her tenuous grip on these hopeless thoughts, they take flight and circle like vultures. If she doesn't regain control, they will start to spiral and drag her down to a place that even she is afraid of.

She yearned for Yuzu, her longing magnified by the fear of losing control over her own emotions. In desperation, she reached out to the blonde with her mind, in the hopes that maybe there was still something left of their connection, of their mate bond.

But all she felt at the end of the line was a cauterized wound still sizzling. She couldn't feel Yuzu at all. The connection was dead, severed.

 _Please don't leave me. I want you. Come back. I need you._

When she insisted on breaking their bond, she knew it was going to painful. Pain, hardship, sacrifice – these things she was well acquainted with and didn't shy away from. But she had no idea that separating from Yuzu was going to hurt this badly. Or this _way_. That not being able to see her, hear her, be beside her hurt more than when her father left her. She thought that her father's abandonment was the worst emotional pain she would ever experience, but she was wrong.

Since the last time she spoke to Yuzu, there was a hole inside her that kept getting bigger and bigger. She felt it pushing against the walls of her mind, her fragile emotions, the sinew of the muscles in her chest cavity. Spreading over her life like cancer.

Hot tears slid down her cheeks and onto the pillow her head was laying on. Whenever the emptiness started to overwhelm her, the only recourse to quell the approaching sorrow was to envision Yuzu.

The very first time she laid eyes on Yuzu the day she showed up at school. With her shocking blonde hair and ridiculous pink blouse that was like a beacon in the sea of Aihara Academy uniforms. She had felt Yuzu's heart hammering when she pulled her close to frisk her for the prohibited smartphone. How Yuzu had looked absolutely gobsmacked when she did that, but there was something else in her eyes when the blonde stared at her, something Mei couldn't name at the moment.

The way Yuzu's body felt beside her on their bed. The way Yuzu would sneak looks at her when the blonde thought she wasn't paying attention. That way Yuzu would meet her eyes when they were eating at the dinner table. That brilliant smile that was like a shot to her heart, making the muscle kick each time.

And even though she knew it was courting insanity, Mei would eventually slip into the memories of that weekend that they had spent locked in Yuzu's heat. Kisses that burned. The taste of her skin. Her ragged breaths begging her not to stop. Nails that clawed at her back. Holding Yuzu in her embrace, feeling like heaven on earth.

She discovered what life without Yuzu was like. The earth still turned and the world went on. But it was dark and empty because the sun no longer shone in the sky.

The alarm went off.

Mei wiped the tears from her face with a practiced hand. She rose from her bed and moved silently in her room, not even bothering to turn on the light.

* * *

The girls were sitting outdoors in one of the tables behind the C-wing during lunch period.

Matsuri took a swig of orange soda from a can as she scrolled through her Instagram. A photo posted by Yuzu slide up on the feed. It was a selfie of the blonde looking sultrily at the camera from her left side, with a view of the top part of her cleavage, encased in a black lace neckline. Her makeup was expertly done, a gold and brown smoky eye with dramatic lashes and cranberry red lipstick. Her blond hair was in a partial updo with loose curls framing her face. Matsuri gave a back of laughter when she read the caption: **_thank u, next._**

Eyes still glued on her phone, Matsuri opened her mouth to swallow the piece of tamagoyaki that Harumi held under her nose with chopsticks.

Matsuri continued to scroll through her feed, but when she saw another photo posted by Yuzu, her eyes widened and she bolted upright. It was another selfie of the blonde, but that _fucker_ Sagae Haruki was behind her with a stupid grin on her stupid face. The redhead looked a bit sweaty and wore a sports shirt. Behind them, Matsuri recognized the Aihara Academy's track field. Yuzu had her head cocked towards Haruki, obviously drawn to the alpha by her body language. The shot was cut off at their chests, but was it possible that Haruki had her arms wrapped around Yuzu's waist? Was Yuzu sitting on the lap of that ginger bitch?

"Ok, what are you snarling at?" asked Harumi, pulling back the piece of chicken karaage that she was about to feed Matsuri. She wasn't about to give Matsuri the tastiest part of the bento while she wasn't even paying attention.

"This!" Matsuri hissed as she held up the phone to show her friends.

Harumi looked at the screen and simply raised an eyebrow. She made no comment.

"What about it? It's a pic of me and Haruki-chan," Yuzu said defensively.

"Oh it's Haruki- _chan_ now, is it?!" spluttered Matsuri. "Are you freakin' kidding me right now? You're seriously talking to that," she ran her hand through her hair and fisted. "That…" _Bitch? Slut? Hoe?_ "That dumb jock!"

"She is not a dumb jock. She actually has to maintain a pretty high GPA because she's on a scholarship. And she's really nice, once you get to know her," countered Yuzu as she rose from her seat, her brow furrowing.

Matsuri also rose and squared off with Yuzu. "She's nice like a poisonous viper is nice," she snapped. "I can't even believe I have to say this to you. She's part of an alpha pack, the very same one that came for you when you presented as an omega. You need to avoid every single one of them because they're dangerous and just…bad people!"

"Wow, someone is prejudiced. You can't judge Haruki or Isuke based on the fact that they're part of a pack," Yuzu retorted, the frown on her face deepening.

"Newsflash, Barbie," Matsuri rolled her eyes. "Being in a pack means you behave as a collective. All of their social moves and decisions are done as a group. They're all complicit in the same fuckery." Matsuri ignored Yuzu's mention of Isuke because she didn't want to go off the rails mentioning that intolerable bitch.

"Listen babe," Yuzu wrapped her hand on the back of Matsuri's neck and pressed their foreheads together. "You are my ride or die. I fucking love you. But you need to get off my dick. I'm a big girl. I know what I'm doing."

A low growl rumbled from the alpha's chest, a knee-jerk reaction to the blonde omega blatantly rejecting her warning.

Yuzu released Matsuri's neck and narrowed her eyes. "Are you growling at me?"

Harumi suddenly appeared in front of Yuzu, blocking Matsuri from her line of sight. She threw her arm around Yuzu's shoulder and walked her a few steps away from Matsuri.

"Yuzucchi, we're all just a little worried that you're…associating with alphas from that pack. I mean, with you being an unmated omega and all," placated Harumi.

"Oh come on," Yuzu groaned. She laid her head on the crook of Harumi's shoulder. "I told you, they've all apologized to me for that. They were just caught off guard. Omegas in heat don't just show up in school. I mean, it was kind of my fault too. I was an idiot for insisting on coming to school that day."

"I was there too. I'm an alpha, but I didn't try to jump your bones!" Matsuri interjected. "That's such bullshit! An omega in heat doesn't turn alphas into mindless animals with no self control!"

Harumi turned her head towards Matsuri, widened her eyes and mouthed _shut up_.

"Look, just please be careful, all right? We're not saying that those alphas are out to get you." Harumi squeezed Yuzu's shoulder. "It absolutely sucks and is totally unfair that you have to think about this, but because you're an unmated omega you have to be extra cautious around alphas."

Harumi cursed herself the moment she said 'unmated omega.' She felt Yuzu bristle. The implication was that if Mei and Yuzu were still mated, they wouldn't be having this little argument. Obviously it was Matsuri's temper and attitude that set this off, but still. She didn't mean it like that. _I mean, they should never have been mated to begin with._

Yuzu shrugged out from under Harumi's arm. "I am being careful! I'm not dumb. I know that every alpha that tries to befriend me could have ulterior motives. But I can't live my life and assume the worst about every alpha I meet before they even do anything," Yuzu turned towards her friends. "That's just not who I am."

"We know Yuzu-chan," said Nene quietly. "You always see the best in everyone until they give you a reason not to."

Everyone turned towards Nene. It was always kind of a surprise when she spoke up.

The small girl smiled at Yuzu, adoration shining in her eyes. "That's what I admire most about you. Your pure heart. I try to emulate that everyday."

Matsuri wanted to roll her eyes so hard that they would get stuck in the roof of her skull, but she didn't. She was proud of herself for holding back. She liked to tease Nene but she would never do anything that would actually truly upset her, and she knew that the girl was having a moment right now. Nene worshipped the ground that Yuzu walked on.

"Uh, thanks Nene-chan," Yuzu mumbled, a red flush tinting her cheeks. She squared her shoulders, lifted her chin and looked at Matsuri. "I know that you're just looking out for me. But I'm fine. Haruki is a nice girl. She just invited me to watch her training because I mentioned I was interested in joining a club."

Matsuri raised an eyebrow. "And you're interested in doing triathlons? You absolutely hate running. You realize that a triathlon includes a 10-kilometer run, right?"

"Well maybe I could get into it if I knew someone who was into exercise and stuff!"

"Oh my god," Matsuri muttered. "Fine, whatever. Just tell me why you're taking selfies with Sagae then."

"I was just doing it for the 'gram, Matsuri! For real, it's not that serious." Yuzu sighed and looked at her phone again. "Look, lunch is almost over. Let's go. It's my turn to print the lab report so I need to go to the library before fifth period."

From a second floor window of the C-wing, Mei watched as Yuzu and her friends gathered their lunch things and tidied up the table. The raven-haired girl stood about a foot away from the window so that she wouldn't be seen from the ground floor.

She had been watching them for the last fifteen minutes or so, and while being able to see Yuzu assuaged the pain of missing her, she wished she could hear what they were talking about. It looked like Matsuri was getting angry at Yuzu, and the blonde had gotten defensive and they were going to start fighting for real until Harumi intervened.

Mei sighed. It was probably nothing terribly important or significant. Just another normal day for Yuzu and her friends. But she couldn't help the anger that swelled in her chest when she watched Matsuri do her alpha posturing around Yuzu. She knew that her anger whenever an alpha got too close to Yuzu was unreasonable. It seemed like another cruel joke, that one of Yuzu's best friends was an alpha.

It was a bitter pill to swallow, but Matsuri was now her sister's alpha. Other than being mated, their friendship had evolved into an alpha/omega dynamic. They probably weren't conscious of it, and it was certainly not a typical alpha/omega pairing. _Of course, one of the reasons why Matsuri has adopted the role of Yuzu's alpha is because I gave that up._

Mei sucked in a sharp breath. It was still too early in the day to start the self-flagellation.

She watched as the small group started walking towards their classrooms. As much as she couldn't stand that little punk, she had to acknowledge Matsuri's efforts to protect Yuzu from the alphas in Aihara Academy. Matsuri had essentially formed a security detail to accompany Yuzu around school, making sure she was never alone. Mei smiled wryly. Maybe they can get t-shirts made. Have _Yuzu Aihara Defense Squad_ printed on it or something. The girl laughed at her own joke.

Mei snapped her gaze on the departing figure of the new person in their group. The alpha suddenly appeared in Yuzu's circle of friends three weeks ago, right after the school assembly. Mei wondered how in the world Matsuri was able to convince the girl to join them. _Stranger things have happened, I guess._

In any case, Mei was grudgingly impressed at Matsuri's choice of ally. Even she, the de facto top alpha of the whole school, would think twice about facing off with this girl.

* * *

Back in the classroom, Yuzu quietly slipped out the door while Matsuri and Harumi were preoccupied doing that weird bickering/fussing thing they do when they're about to part ways for a few hours. Matsuri belonged to Class 1-C, and so they wouldn't see her again until after the last period for the afternoon.

When she arrived at the library, she headed to the back where the computers were located. Sitting at a cubicle with a desktop computer, she logged in and started to download the file she needed to print.

She was about to log off from her Google Drive when someone sat in the empty chair next to her.

"Hey," Inukai Isuke said in her low, silky voice.

Yuzu was always amazed at how Isuke's voice managed to feel like a caress.

"Hi," Yuzu replied as she tucked a nonexistent stray strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled and peered sideways at Isuke through lowered lashes.

"Got your report done?"

"Yeah," Yuzu nodded. "I owe a lot to Haruki-chan. If it wasn't for her giving me her notes I wouldn't have been able to finish my part of the report. I really got behind in Chem when I got sick."

She turned fully towards Isuke and raised her eyes to the alpha's face. _Fuck. How is she always so gorgeous?_ "Please tell Haruki-chan again how much I appreciate her help."

Isuke placed her hand on the blonde's knee. She had long, elegant fingers. An electric thrill shot straight to Yuzu's core at Isuke's touch on her bare skin.

"Of course," Isuke lightly squeezed Yuzu's knee. "And I'm sure she wouldn't mind helping you with other classes if you need help catching up with stuff you've missed."

Yuzu chuckled. "I don't think I should take advantage of her generosity."

Isuke stared at her for a beat and said, "Oh don't worry, I'm sure there's a way that you can pay her back." A smile tugged on one corner of her lips.

"Ah," Yuzu said, eyes wide. "Right, of course. I will totally pay her back. Tell her whatever she wants…I'll do it." _Ohhh Jesus Christ._

The alpha laughed, a throaty sound that raked over Yuzu's nerves like fingernails scratching down her back.

"Are you coming to Haruki's practice after school?"

Yuzu's mouth twisted and she shook her head apologetically. "Ah, no. Not today, sorry." _Matsuri is gonna be watching me like a hawk for the next three days at least._

Isuke's perfect lips pursed into a pout. For one crazy moment Yuzu imagined herself leaning over and soundly kissing that pout off Isuke's pretty face. Luckily, crazy ideas entered Yuzu's mind all the time, and she was usually able to stop herself.

"Darn. It gets so boring watching Haruki run around in circles. I was really hoping you'd keep me company while waiting for her. We could do some…uh, girl talk."

The alpha was gently stroking her fingers on Yuzu's knee, curling and uncurling them over the blonde's skin. Yuzu's eyelashes fluttered. It felt like molten magma was slowly travelling to the pit of her belly.

"Thursday," Yuzu breathed. "I'll be there Thursday."

"Perfect."


	8. Schism

"Harumi, you _saw_ that I played Viola so much better than Momokino-san, right?" Yuzu's eyes rolled and then landed on the tall brunette expectantly.

Harumi giggled, "Yeah, her delivery was a little wooden." She slung her bag over her shoulder as they exited the school gates. "You're a much better actress, Yuzucchi."

Yuzu darted out in front of her friends and waved her hand theatrically. "I'll do my best to woo your lady," she recited with great flourish.

Nene clapped her hands enthusiastically and Yuzu made an exaggerated stage bow. The girls stopped a little way outside the main entrance of the school, and were now standing in the middle of the sidewalk.

Matsuri cocked her head to the side and placed a fist on her hip. "Since when did you get interested in acting?"

"Can't a girl have interests?" Yuzu huffed, exasperated. "I can bring a lot of depth to Viola. I should really get the part."

Matsuri's narrowed her eyes at Yuzu. "Riiight." The alpha sensed something fishy was going on, but she couldn't puzzle out what it was. _Why the hell would Yuzu want an acting part in the lame ass class play? Who wants to memorize English? And old-timey English at that? Ridiculous._

Matsuri snapped her eyes to Harumi, but the girl wouldn't meet her eyes. The brunette was suspiciously very interested in the advertisement posted on the side of the bus stop shelter. She sighed in defeat and stepped forward to loop her arm around Harumi's waist. Looking over her shoulder to the rest of the group, she tossed out, "All right, see you tomorrow."

She was about to walk away but then turned back to Yuzu and asked, "You gonna be okay tonight, Yuzu?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." A rueful smile spread across Yuzu's face.

Matsuri nodded at her and turned to leave, steering Harumi by the waist with one hand and throwing up deuces with the other.

Yuzu chatted with Nene and their new friend for a bit. After a while they all said their goodbyes and started on their separate ways home.

Hearing the ding for a LINE message, Yuzu pulled out her phone as she was walking.

 **Haruki:** _A little bird told me that you tried out for Viola. Did I mention that I got the part of Duke Orsino?_

The blonde's mouth quirked when she read the message. Of course she knew that Haruki was playing the part. When the play was chosen for their grade's theater performance for the cultural festival, most people expected Haruki, the school 'prince,' to land the male lead. Walking slowly, Yuzu tapped out a reply.

 **Yuzu:** I may have heard that you got the part.

 **Haruki:** Is it too much for me to hope that I'm the reason u tried out 4 Viola?

 **Yuzu:** Maybe ;-) Half the reason.

 **Haruki:** And the other half?

 **Yuzu:** Isuke-sama trying out for the role of Olivia :)

"Yuzu."

The whole world screeched to a halt. That voice. Yuzu could pick out that voice from the most raucous cacophony. And the timbre of that voice whenever it called out her name caused a vibration that she could feel in her bones, strumming at her heartstrings.

The blonde spun around so fast she almost gave herself whiplash.

Mei.

It was really her. In the flesh. Standing in front of her in the late afternoon sun. Her long raven hair was swept to one side, draped over the front of her shoulder. Beautiful and perfect as ever. She looked like a vision.

Yuzu's heart soared while her stomach swooped. The air evaporated from her lungs. Her blood pounded through her veins. She hoped these weren't symptoms for cardiac arrest.

"Oh, hey," Yuzu managed to say. She was amazed that she sounded so nonchalant, when she felt anything but. She had imagined this scenario, seeing Mei again, playing the scenario over and over in her mind, countless times in the last six weeks. A prickly heat spread though her whole body. She suddenly felt so nervous she thought might faint. "What's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you," Mei said quietly. "I've been wanting to for the last couple of days, but it was hard to catch you alone."

Yuzu smiled apologetically, amused at the thought of Mei thwarted by Matsuri's over zealous protectiveness. "What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked, hoping her voice didn't sound too eager.

Mei didn't reply right away. She simply stared at Yuzu's face, as if searching for something. Then her eyes darted away and she cleared her throat. "So it's been about six weeks since our," she faltered. "Since we separated."

"46 days and 4 hours," Yuzu intoned. She thumbed the home button on her phone and glanced at the time. "And 28 minutes."

Mei blinked, then nodded in agreement. One of her hands let go of her schoolbag and she shifted it to her side. "Our mate bond is broken. You've probably noticed."

"I've noticed."

 _How could I not notice? When the last bit of our bond had finally disappeared, your scent completely gone, when all I felt was a giant hole inside me where you used to be – it was fucking horrible. Yeah, I might have noticed._

"I know that it had to be terrible. The sickness, the lethargy." Mei's brow furrowed and her lips pressed together. "It was all my fault, and for that I want to apologize."

Yuzu cocked her head, irritation tickling the back of her mind. _You think the reason it was terrible was because I got sick?_

"There's no excuse for losing control and giving you a mate bite. And then make you go through an unbonding." Mei's eyes were wide, full of remorse. She clenched her hands into tight fists so that the blonde wouldn't see them trembling.

"I told you before," Yuzu muttered. "It's fine. I'm not angry about the mate bite. You were affected by my heat." She knew that she should be mad at Mei for losing control and giving her a mate bite. Once Mei marked her as hers, she wanted to stay that way. Deep down, she had wanted to belong to Mei the moment she presented as an omega.

"Your heat doesn't excuse me losing control. And I made you pay for something I did. I'm sorry." Mei hung her head.

Yuzu shook her head and waved her hand in a gesture of dismissal. She clenched her jaw, stifling the words that wanted to spew out of her. _That's not what you should be sorry for! You should be sorry that you_ _ **left me**_ _._ She was starting to seethe at the fact that Mei didn't even realize what she actually did wrong.

Mei smoothed a hand down the front of her dark green blazer and tugged at the hem when she reached the bottom. Lifting her chin, she said with force lightness, "But now that several weeks have passed since we've become unbonded, I thought it's time I come home?"

Yuzu stared at her. "You want to…come home," she repeated slowly. One of her eyes twitched at the...audacity.

"Um. Yes. I mean….I wasn't," Mei shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "I wasn't planning to stay away forever."

Heat exploded in Yuzu's skull, shooting down to her chest and plunging down to her belly where it roiled, turning her stomach. The way Mei was so casual about the whole thing incensed her. _So she thinks she can just waltz back into my life like it's nothing?_

Yuzu crossed her arms against her chest. "Oh really?" Yuzu said acerbically. "I bet you were just happy to have an excuse to move out of the apartment and not have to live with me."

Mei winced, both at Yuzu's tone and what she was saying. "That's not true, Yuzu. Quite the opposite," she said quietly.

"Yeah, whatever," Yuzu scoffed. "You don't have to make stuff up to make me feel better. It's insulting."

Mei swallowed, anxiety lined with dread filtering into her bloodstream. She knew Yuzu was going to be mad at her, but she had hoped that it wouldn't turn into resentment. Or worse, contempt. But maybe she was just fooling herself. Why had she expected that Yuzu would even be forgiving towards her transgressions, even just a little? _Stupid. She hates you. She hated you before all this happened, and now she has even more reason to._

"I'm not making stuff up or trying to be insulting. I wasn't happy about having to live at father's house these past few weeks," insisted Mei, fighting the tears that were pricking her eyes.

There. She laid the truth for Yuzu. Her heart was laid bare. Her cards were on the table. _Take me back, please. Don't make me beg._

Yuzu said nothing as she wrestled with the alpha's words. She wanted nothing more than to fling herself at her stepsister and reunite their bodies. Because she hadn't felt right in her skin since the day Mei initiated the breaking of their mate bond. The urge to bury her face in Mei's neck and inhale her scent into her lungs was frightening in its intensity. She knew that inhaling the alpha's scent would dispel the ache that sat heavy in her chest. Her mouth salivated at imagining how Mei's skin would taste when she would suck on her neck.

But at the same time visions of the last few weeks raced across Yuzu's mind. The torture of every sleepless night and the crying jags when she remembered that Mei didn't want their mate bond.

Both emotions warred within Yuzu, but in the end she couldn't bottle up her resentment. A match was lit to the powder keg of her hurt feelings, and vitriol exploded out of her.

"Oh you weren't happy, were you?" Yuzu sneered. "I have to be honest though Mei. If we're keeping track of who's had a shittier month and a half, I'm gonna have to claim the grand prize."

Mei stepped back instinctively. Yuzu's floral scent had turned acrid, bitter. A beautiful flower turned poisonous from the toxic soil it was planted on.

Yuzu took a step towards Mei. "For example, did you know that I couldn't sleep alone for the first two weeks? That Matsuri or Harumi had to spend the night with me? Because if I managed to fall asleep at all, I would wake up with night terrors or be crying hysterically," she hissed.

Mei curled her fists helplessly. She stood her ground, back straight, even though she felt like curling in on herself. She grudgingly thought that at least Yuzu had two people who were there for her during the hardest moments. She, on the other hand, had to talk herself off the ledge all by her lonesome.

Her jealousy also flared at the thought of Matsuri and Yuzu _in bed_ together. She pushed the thought down for now and filed it away for later, because blinding rage wouldn't be far behind.

"I'm failing every class right now! I'm totally going to have to do supplemental classes in the summer," Yuzu continued. "Because I couldn't function. I couldn't concentrate. I was so fucking _sad_."

Mei gasped. "Oh god, Yuzu, your grades … that's the worst thing that could have happened!"

Yuzu finally snapped at Mei sounding the most distraught at her failing schoolwork, of all things.

"The worst thing that happened was that you left me!"

The two girls stared at each other. Hurt and anger on Yuzu's face, panic and regret on Mei's.

"It broke me," Yuzu whispered.

Mei's stomach twisted.

"I had to put myself back together. But you did this. You did this to me. And you were nowhere to be found, ignored me the whole goddamn time," Yuzu said quietly. Lifting her head to look Mei in the eye, she said in a voice full of conviction, "So you can take your apology and shove it."

The words shot through Mei's heart. The one thing that sustained her during her torment, that one day she would reunite with her stepsister— she felt it crashing down around her. _Stupid, stupid. Why did you think she would forgive you._

Mei's mind spun, panic rising. She was going to have to go through another night, another day, without Yuzu. Hell, for the rest of her life, apparently. _Oh god. How? I didn't prepare for this._ Her brain went into overdrive, churning through survival mechanisms. She had to find a way to cope. Her brain fogged as she desperately tried to convince herself that she was going to get through this.

 _I am an alpha. I am the top alpha in this whole school. Top alphas don't die from a broken heart. I will be all right. I will be okay._

"Okay." The word fell from Mei's mouth, flat and monotone. "All right." She was only vaguely conscious of the words coming from her mouth, as she was preoccupied with quieting the maelstrom of emotions that were thrashing around in her heart.

Mei turned on her heels and started to walk away. With each passing second, she was erecting the walls around her mind to seal off the reality of her and Yuzu's permanent separation from her conscious thoughts.

"Hey!" Yuzu hand closed around Mei's wrist. "Where you going?"

"I'm going home. To father's house," Mei replied after a prolonged moment. She couldn't make sense of Yuzu's words at first, the volume of her surroundings drowned out by the roaring in her ears.

"I thought you said you wanted to come home with me."

One side of Mei's lips lifted in feeble attempt at a smile. "No, it's fine. Please forget that I asked. I didn't want to upset you."

Yuzu gritted her teeth. She felt like she was going crazy. "You didn't upset me. Don't be dumb, Mei. You should come home. It's your home too."

Mei sharply tugged her hand free from Yuzu's grip. The omega's skin felt like a white-hot brand. "I'll be staying at father's house from now on."

Yuzu's heart leapt in her throat. She fought rising panic and the way her heart was slamming against her ribs. Calmly and slowly, she said, "But Mama misses you. She wants you to come home. She's been waiting for you to come back, everyday."

Mei shook her head and cocked a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'm sure Mama will be fine."

Yuzu moved to grab her with both hands, but Mei stepped out of her reach.

"Goodbye, Yuzu."

x X x

Matsuri laid in Harumi's bed watching anime as she waited for the other girl. Harumi had left to get some snacks from the kitchen a while ago, so Mitsuko probably showed up and interrogated her on whether she was doing her homework, and if she was, what was Matsuri doing here? And to that, Harumi would probably say that they were doing their homework together and helping each other study.

The door opened and Harumi stepped inside the room carrying a tray.

Matsuri looked up from the tablet and peered at what the brunette brought. "Tiramisu, nice! You run into Mitsuko-san?"

"Yeah," Harumi chuckled. "She gave me the tiramisu. Said we better work really hard on these algebra problems though. And to ask her for help if we can't figure it out."

"I think that's her way of saying she knows that we probably don't spend most of our time studying," Matsuri remarked, tossing the tablet on the mattress and sitting up to lean on the bed's headboard.

"What's happening in the new episode?" Harumi gestured towards the tablet.

"It's sports day. Yuu sits on Touko and they kiss in the shed."

"Nice. Gonna have to watch it later."

Matsuri reached towards Harumi and tugged on the sleeve of her shirt. "Why don't I show you what they did in the episode?" She patted her lap with her hands, "Come here."

Harumi rolled her eyes, but she canted her body towards Matsuri.

Matsuri grunted and wrapped her arms around Harumi's waist and tugged.

The brunette allowed herself to be maneuvered into straddling Matsuri's hips, placing her knees on either side of the other girl's lap. Once settled in her new seat, Harumi wound her arms around the girl's shoulders and linked her fingers against the back of Matsuri's neck.

Hands alighting on the brunette's thighs, Matsuri leaned forward and captured Harumi's lips in a hungry kiss that conveyed how much she had been waiting to do this all day. She swept her tongue against Harumi's lower lip, demanding entrance, which was immediately granted with a small hum of pleasure. She angled her head to probe deeper into Harumi's mouth, and her hands inched higher towards the brunette's chest.

Harumi broke the kiss by leaning back and and grabbing the wrists of Matsuri's hands that were gunning for her breasts. She tried to look nonchalant as she raised an eyebrow, but the flush creeping up her neck betrayed her rising arousal. "I doubt Nanami Touko was quite as forward with Yuu in the anime."

Matsuri smirked. "Oh no, she totally slips Yuu the tongue. Touko's whole character is about how she appears to be the perfect student council president but inside she's a mess, thirsting for her innocent little kouhai."

"That's funny, sounds just like a student council president we know."

Matsuri's face darkened at the reference to Aihara Mei. A hint of a growl was building in her throat.

"Oh, stop it. Yeah, she totally fucked Yuzu up, but at least she also made herself scarce and didn't cause any further drama. You know that she was practically hiding from Yuzu these last few weeks. I've hardly seen her."

"I don't fucking care. She should die in a fire," Matsuri retorted.

"Okay, too much. And it had to have been a little hard on her too, so maybe cut her some slack. But in any case, it's fine now," Harumi soothed, running her hands up and down the alpha's upper arms. "Their mate bond is broken."

"Ugh, you're right," she conceded. "It's over between them, thank god. And Yuzu seems so much better now, yeah? She can sleep through the night now."

"Yes babe, she's doing so much better. She's out of the woods now," agreed Harumi. She gently held Matsuri's face in her hands and gazed into bright blue eyes. "And you helped her through the darkest part of it. For that you deserve a reward," she said coquettishly while removing her necktie.

Harumi was referring to the fact that Matsuri stayed with Yuzu for the majority of the first few weeks after the separation, especially nighttime. It wasn't a replacement for Mei's, but Matsuri's alpha scent helped take the edge off.

"Awesome. I knew that my good deed was going to pay off," Matsuri said as she started unbuttoning Harumi's shirt from the bottom. "I'd like to collect my reward now."

Matsuri made quick work of the buttons and slid the shirt off the other girl's shoulders. When the brunette's ample chest was revealed, encased in a lacy pink bra, Matsuri groaned like she had just discovered an oasis after crossing the desert with no water.

"I think Yuzu will be fine tonight, right? She would have said something earlier if she wanted you to come spend the night with her," Harumi said a little breathlessly, a coil of arousal slowly winding in her core at the sensation of Matsuri kissing a trail down the column her neck.

"Mmm, yeah she's fine, she doesn't need me," was the muffled reply from Matsuri whose face was now buried in Harumi's breasts. She cupped the sides of the lacy bra and pushed them up towards her face and nuzzled the creamy mounds. She lifted her head just enough to mutter, "My god, your tits. Best things on the face of this earth. I love them so much."

Harumi's breath hitched when the other girl gently tugged at her nipples through the fabric of her bra. Waves of pleasure were crawling up her chest and down to her thighs. A little distractedly, she said, "Hey, before I forget, you need to ease up a little on Yuzu, okay? You were a little heavy handed with her at lunch today."

The alpha grunted but conceded, perhaps because she didn't want to be impeded as she was reaching around the busty girl to unhook her bra. "Fine. Her heat won't come for a while anyway."

"How soon do you think?" Harumi asked as she tugged off one end of the bra and then the other from her arms. The lacy garment was flung to the foot of the bed.

Matsuri's pupils dilated as she gazed at the naked breasts presented to her, and her hands were instantly palming the delectable globes. "I told you babe, it's impossible to accurately predict the first few times of an omega's heat. But the earliest it can happen would be in about a month."

"Okay, great. We don't have to worry about it till then." When Matsuri swiped her thumbs across her nipples, she closed her eyes and arched her back, thrusting her chest closer to the alpha's face.

Matsuri's mouth closed around a rose colored nipple. She circled the hardened nub with her tongue, and a moan was dragged from Harumi's throat. Before she switched her attention to the other rosy peak, she commented, "I mean, there's always the chance of having an abnormal heat triggered by extreme stress. But those are really rare."

"Jeez, I hope that doesn't happen to Yuzu," Harumi said as she started to grind her hips against Matsuri's pelvis, in response to the pink-haired girl reaching behind her and squeezing her ass with both hands.

"Yeah, it won't. She'd have to experience an extremely stressful event to go into heat out of cycle. And Yuzu-chan is doing just peachy."

x X x

Yuzu stumbled into the apartment when the door finally swung open. She had fought with the doorknob for a couple of minutes, as she couldn't slot the key into the lock because of the tears blurring her vision.

She collapsed on the sofa and curled into herself. Her loud sobs corrupted the stillness of the dark apartment.

"It hurts," Yuzu squealed as her fingers dug into the cushions. "It hurts so fucking much. Goddamit Mei."

All she wanted was for Mei to realize that the reason why she was a complete wreck these past weeks was because she wanted to be with her. Not because of the physical symptoms brought about by breaking their mate bond.

Yes, she had caught feelings. It was completely stupid and hopeless, but it happened.

And today Mei rejected her once again. Just when she had recovered from the emotional bender that her stepsister put her through. The girl managed to stomp on her heart and splinter it into a million pieces… ** _again._**

Yuzu screamed into the cushion. She felt like she was going to have a break down.

x

x

x

 **Author's notes:**

I'd like to thank everyone who left a review on this story! I really appreciate them so much. It's great to know what people think of the story and where it's heading.

There's been a lot of angst in the last couple of chapters, but that's the last of the angst for a while. We're hopping back on the porn train...


	9. Simmer

Yuzu slowly opened her eyes. The large window beside her bed gradually came into focus. This meant sometime last night she moved from the living room and made it to her bed. She didn't really remember a lot of details from the night before. It was all kind of a blur…

Except of course her conversation with Mei after school. _That_ she could recall in extreme high definition. Yuzu sucked in a hissing breath.

 _Fucking hell._

The blonde screwed her eyes closed. She fought against the riptide that threatened to drag her back to the open sea of her tumultuous emotions. She had spent last night being ripped apart like the doomed ship in Shakespeare's tempest. But today she was done with being the starring role in this particular tragicomedy.

With a groan, Yuzu pushed herself up to a sitting position. A glance at the bedside clock told her that if she hurries, she could still make it to school on time. Barely.

But she didn't feel so great. A headache was starting to bloom in the back of her skull. There was a scratch in her throat. And she felt a little hotter than normal. She pressed her palm to her forehead. Did she have a low-grade fever?

Yuzu sighed. She contemplated staying home for a second.

 _Ugh, no. I am already so behind in Chemistry, Algebra, English, Classical Japanese… I can't afford to be absent._

The omega rose from the bed and dragged herself towards the bathroom.

 _And hell, I don't want spend the whole day in bed and stew about Mei. I'll lose my goddamn mind._

Yuzu splashed ice cold water on her face from the tap.

 _Yeah, going to school is way better than staying here and getting traumatized again by my own fucking thoughts._

x X x

Yuzu felt progressively worse as the school day went on. By the time lunch period came around, she fully regretted coming to school and wished she had just stayed home instead. Her back was killing her. Her head was pounding.

Sitting at their usual lunch spot at the picnic table, Yuzu was uncharacteristically quiet. Harumi was sitting beside her and complaining about the work she had to do as part of the stage crew for the upcoming cultural festival, but she wasn't really listening. She rubbed her temples with her fingers and groaned.

"You okay, Yuzucchi?" asked Harumi.

Yuzu cleared her throat, pondering how to answer the question. She hadn't told any of her friends about her conversation with Mei yesterday and her subsequent meltdown. She didn't feel like rehashing the whole dramatic story today, and if she was being honest, she was a little ashamed. She didn't want to admit that she let Mei break her heart, _again._

"Uh, I'm okay. I'm just," Yuzu dragged a hand across the back of her neck. "I feel really hot."

A look of concern flashed across Harumi's face. She pressed the back of her palm on Yuzu's forehead. "Oh wow, yeah. You're like burning up. You must have a fever or something."

"I guess," Yuzu mumbled. She felt hot, but it felt so much more than a normal fever. Like the fever had settled in her bones. The warmth in her body felt so _visceral_. She was keenly aware of her muscles and tendons, her organs, her skin— all the soft, squishy parts of her anatomy – and they all felt _hot._

"You should go to the nurse's office," Matsuri stated in a voice deep and rough. "C'mon, I'll take you." Her voice carried a gravitas that wasn't normal for the pink-haired girl. Everyone at the table noticed, but none more so than Yuzu.

Yuzu felt a tug resonate deep in her abdomen.

The blonde hesitated, and on any other day she would have refused immediately. Going to the nurse's office was a drag. But today the direct order from Matsuri was irresistible. She felt a strong compulsion to obey the command from the alpha.

Yuzu reached out and curled her fingers around Matsuri's hand. "All right. Take me."

The blonde followed Matsuri across the open courtyard towards the administration wing of the building, still holding her hand, their fingers threaded together.

Matsuri tugged on her hand, and immediately the blonde shuffled closer to the alpha, until they were walking shoulder to shoulder.

As they neared the covered hallway that ran the perimeter of the building, Hashiri Nio suddenly appeared and was walking quickly towards them. She had her eyes trained on Yuzu and her stride looked like she was practically being pulled towards the direction of the omega.

When she got close enough, Nio reached for Yuzu and asked, "Aihara-san, do you have a minute? We need to talk about our next lab report."

A full-throated growl tore itself from Matsuri, and she was blocking Yuzu from the other alpha in the blink of an eye. Matsuri's growl lacked the deep reverb of an alpha the caliber of Aihara Mei, but it nonetheless made Nio flinch.

Nio's face transformed into a frustrated frown. Her eyes snapped to Yuzu, who was practically hanging off of Matsuri's arm. She took a few moments to weigh her chances. Then with a tight smile that made it clear that Matsuri had made an enemy of her, she said, "Oookay. Guess I'll take care of this report then. Thanks a lot."

Nio turned on her heels and left.

Matsuri's brow furrowed as she regarded the retreating figure of Hashiri Nio. She didn't make a habit of establishing dominance towards other alphas unless absolutely necessary, and even she could recognize that Nio simply wanting to talk to Yuzu didn't warrant such an act of open aggression.

But Yuzu smelled especially good today. Of course she always smelled sweet— jasmine with bright citrus notes. But today it was different. Stronger. Heady. Her floral scent was laced with something tantalizing. Matsuri could taste the promise of nectar on her tongue.

 _And Hashiri Nio shouldn't be touching Yuzu with her grubby hands._

It was weird. Shaking her head, Matsuri took Yuzu to the nurse's office and didn't stop for anything or anyone.

x X x

Yuzu spent the afternoon in the nurse's office, curled up in a first aid bed. The mattress of the metal bed felt too firm and unforgiving, and so she surreptitiously gathered up all the linens she could find in the supply closet and heaped them on the bed. She tried to fall asleep lying on top of the soft sheets and pillows, but the heat in her body just kept ratcheting up as each hour went by.

And so did the ache.

In particular, the ache between her legs. What started this morning as a dull pain was now like a battering ram that kept pounding in her core, sending pulses of white heat to scatter through all her extremities.

When the last bell rang, Yuzu pushed herself up from the metal bed. She stood up on shaking legs, then instantly doubled over in pain.

"Aw shit," Yuzu whined in the empty recovery room. Her knuckles were white from gripping the railing of the side of the bed.

 _I know what this is._ "How the hell am I in heat? I'm not due for like weeks."

Biting down hard on her lip, Yuzu slowly made her way out of the nurse's office. The nurse wasn't even in there, so she just walked right out.

Stepping into the hallway, Yuzu was overwhelmed with the task of getting herself anywhere. She knew she had to find Matsuri. But she found it hard to focus, her mind fogging over. Her body's urges were hijacking her brain.

 _Alpha. Alpha. Alpha. In between my legs. I need it. Now. It hurts. It hurts…_

Yuzu stumbled blindly down the hallway, her right hand against the wall to help herself stay upright.

Along with aches that were approaching their peak in Yuzu's body, her scent reached its fullest, darkest bloom.

x X x

Mei was leaving the 1-B classroom when she inhaled deeply, her eyes slipping closed. Goosebumps raised on the skin of her arms. She released a long, shuddering breath.

Her head snapped from side to side, desperately hoping to clock on blond hair.

 _Where is she?_

Yuzu's scent was in the air. She was in heat. Mei knew this without a doubt. The smell was faint, but Yuzu had passed through here or nearby.

There was a student council meeting in five minutes, but Mei had zero fucks to give about it.

She started walking quickly down the hallway, not that she had any idea of where Yuzu actually was, but she hoped against hope that her inner compass would lead to the omega.

x X x

Matsuri threw open the door to the nurse's. As she was coming to collect Yuzu from the infirmary, she had caught her scent in the air.

She ran towards the back of the office and yanked back the curtain around the bed Yuzu was lying in earlier.

As she had feared, the bed was empty. There was only the pile of linens on the bed. Matsuri recognized this as typical omega behavior when they go into heat – they nest.

Matsuri's blood ran cold.

x X x

Yuzu gasped as a sharp lance of pain pierced through her. She gripped the railing of the staircase to keep herself from falling over.

She felt the blood pounding in her temples and her vision swam. She slowly trudged up a few more steps until she reached a landing on the main staircase. Leaning against a low wall, the blonde tried to catch her breath.

Several students were descending the staircase. Yuzu desperately scanned the group, but one whiff told her they were all betas. A few of them glanced at her with surprised looks, but they all booked it down the stairs, presumably to get to their after school clubs.

Eventually Yuzu reached the top of the stairs, and she had a moment's hesitation on which direction she should head.

But the scent of two alphas that came from somewhere on her left made the decision for her.

Haruki and Isuke were approaching her.

x X x

Like the tides drawn to the moon, all the alphas in the vicinity had walked out of classrooms or away from their cluster of friends and were tracking Yuzu with their eyes like cats following a mouse. They were all moving closer.

Once they saw Yuzu be approached by and follow Sagae Haruki and Inukai Isuke, all of them stopped in their tracks. No one had any intention of crossing the school's alpha pack. This was simply how high school social hierarchy worked.

Matsuri watched Yuzu enter the literature clubroom followed by Haruki and Isuke. It turned her stomach that it had come to this, but she had prepared for this possibility.

She took off running.

x

x

 **Author's Notes:** So I decided to split up the chapter I wrote into two chapters because I prefer not to have chapters longer than 3,500 words. So I just split off the smut into a separate chapter. Which I'm going to post here in the next hour

So I decided to split up the chapter I wrote into two chapters because I prefer not to have chapters longer than 3,500 words. So I just split off the smut into a separate chapter. Which I'm going to post here in the next hour...


	10. Coitus

**Warning: This chapter contains Yuzu having sex with someone who is not Mei.**

 **If this makes you unreasonably angry, sad, disgusted, or you simply cannot abide it by a matter of principle, I recommend you don't read this chapter! If you want to keep reading the story, skip to chapter 11!**

* * *

Isuke pulled the door shut behind her, but didn't lock it. Yuzu's scent was affecting her much more than the other omegas in heat she had encountered before. In this closed room, Yuzu's scent became even more pronounced.

Isuke inhaled the fragrance of a midnight garden in its fullest, darkest bloom. An intoxicating bouquet of night-blooming jasmine, rose, and lily. And at the heart of it was the sharp tang of ripe citrus fruit.

The urge to claim the omega was overwhelming, and locking the door to the club room was the least of her concerns.

Yuzu was standing against the back of a chair. Her arms were bent behind her, hands gripping the top rail. The chair was her tether in the storm of raw sexual energy that was brewing in the room.

The two alphas watched in rapt attention as Yuzu ensnared her bottom lip between her teeth.

An almost inaudible moan slipped from Haruki's throat. She doubted that Yuzu realized how much restraint she and Isuke had to not tear into her like dingoes on red meat.

Yuzu shyly raised her head look at the two alphas. "I'm so sorry, but can you," she gripped the back of the chair tighter with her hands. "Can you please help me," she whispered.

Haruki stepped forward and wrapped her hands around Yuzu's waist. "Help you with what, Yuzu-chan?"

Haruki's touch sent tendrils of heat to crawl up her sides and shoot down her core. She felt her flower rapidly gathering dew. With the alpha this close, she couldn't hold back any longer. She took a step forward and curled her fingers on the front Haruki's shirt. Her head fell on the taller girl's shoulder. "Alpha, _please._ "

Yuzu felt Haruki's chest expand and hands tighten around her waist possessively. She felt Isuke step behind her.

Yuzu leaned herself back against Isuke's front. Tilting her head back and turning her face to press against the girl's throat, she whispered, "Take care of me, alpha. Please."

In between the two girls, Yuzu felt her heat reach a fever pitch. This close, she was practically mainlining their alpha pheromones and it was making the space between her legs pound so hard she felt lightheaded from all her blood rushing to the area.

"Don't you worry Yuzu-chan. We'll take really good care of you," Isuke said in a silky voice that slid down Yuzu's spine like a trailing fingertip.

Haruki met her girlfriend's eyes behind Yuzu's shoulder and a heated look passed between them. She reached under Yuzu's skirt and hooked her thumbs on the waistband of her underwear. Kneeling on the floor, she slowly tugged Yuzu's panties down. Her nostrils flared as the heady scent of Yuzu's arousal entered her nostrils when the scrap of lace covering her dripping sex was pulled away.

The redheaded alpha stood up, stuffing the lacy panties in her own pocket. _Save you for later._

Trembling, Yuzu reached behind her and pulled Isuke's arms to wrap around her waist. Her whole body was buzzing, and she yearned for the alpha's touch to engulf her.

Yuzu gave a small gasp when she felt Haruki's two fingers dip into her dripping folds under her skirt. The alpha curled her fingers against the length of her sex, and then slowly dragged them upwards to rest gently at her engorged clit. Her hips jerked to chase Haruki's hand, but the redhead had already pulled away.

Haruki's brought her fingers up to Isuke's mouth.

A moan was torn from Yuzu's throat as she watched Isuke's ruby red lips close around Haruki's middle finger that was coated in her arousal.

Isuke sucked the finger clean, then drew the forefinger into her mouth to repeat the process. The sight of Haruki's long, slender digit slowly pulling out of her girlfriend's candy mouth was so dirty and erotic, that Yuzu's whole midsection clenched, prompting another moan out of of her.

Not able to hold herself back any longer, Yuzu grabbed the hand and pulled it back down underneath her skirt. She truly tried not to be too forceful, but she couldn't keep the need and desperation out of her voice when she pleaded, "Fuck me. Fuck me now, please."

A wicked smile sliced across Haruki's face. She crooned, "Of course. Better hang on tight, baby. You won't be walking out of this room right." She ended it with a wink that made Yuzu's crotch quiver in anticipation.

Yuzu instinctively opened her legs wider when Haruki slipped two fingers back into her folds.

Isuke was quickly unbuttoning her shirt. _Wow, it was a great idea to wear a bra with the clasp in the front._ Another needy whine floated out of her mouth when she felt Isuke's hands close around her bare breasts.

Isuke gave the breasts she held in her hands an appreciative squeeze and drawled silkily in the blonde's ear, "I've wanted to touch your tits for so long, Yuzu-chan. You're always wearing lingerie that could totally be seen through your uniform. Do you have any idea how tempting you are?"

Yuzu's hips jerked involuntarily against Haruki's hand, pressing her clit against the heel of Haruki's palm. Isuke's words, or maybe just her voice, was turning her on beyond belief. As if it was possible to make her even hornier than she already was.

Isuke circled her nipples with her middle fingers. The girl's touch was feather-light but extremely skilled, because Yuzu's nipples were hard in no time.

Yuzu's back arched from the twin sensations of Haruki stroking her folds and Isuke playing with her stiff nipples. With her back bowed between the two alphas, Yuzu's face was side to side with Isuke's. Turning her head towards the alpha, she brought their mouths close together.

Isuke's hot breath puffed against Yuzu's mouth, their lips millimeters from each other. The alpha had her lips slightly parted but made no move to come closer. She was daring the omega to initiate the kiss they both craved.

Yuzu's chest heaved when she felt the alpha sharply roll her nipples with her thumb and forefinger, intent on breaking her restraint. Yuzu slowly swiped her tongue across the inside of Isuke's top lip but refrained from crashing their mouths together. She was delighted when she got the alpha to sigh in pleasure against her open mouth.

Haruki's fingers glided down and entered her. She was already drenched, so the alpha's fingers slipped into her with practically no resistance. The feeling of being filled by the alpha felt so unbelievable good, and the inside of her head lit up like an aurora, originating from her center where Haruki's fingers penetrated her. A moan travelled from the pit of her belly to her chest, and it escaped from her mouth, loud and shuddering.

Isuke couldn't resist the blonde's mouth any longer when it was making such pretty sounds, so she crashed their lips together and plunged her tongue inside.

With Haruki's fingers thrusting in her wet pussy and Isuke's tongue in her mouth, Yuzu felt like it was the Rapture.

Yuzu wouldn't have been surprised if the sky parted, she was borne aloft on angels' wings and then ascended into heaven.

Haruki deepened her thrusts, and Yuzu rocked her hips against the hand penetrating her. But the alpha held down her jerking hips with the hand that wasn't fucking her. She pinned the omega's lower half against her girlfriend's pelvis. When Haruki would make a particularly forceful thrust with her fingers, Yuzu's ass would rock back against Isuke's crotch.

"Oh god," Isuke moaned helplessly at the second hand sensation of Yuzu being fucked by her girlfriend.

Yuzu clenched around Haruki's fingers at the sound of the high and mighty Inukai Isuke moaning breathlessly in her ear. She rotated her bottom against Isuke's center, desperately wanting to coax more pleasure from the alpha.

Seeing this as a provocation, a growl rumbled from Isuke's chest. Roughly grabbing Yuzu's hips, she rocked her pelvis into the omega's ass. Isuke slammed into Yuzu's rear at each instroke of Haruki's fingers into the blonde's dripping pussy.

The force and speed at which she was being fucked by Haruki and Isuke was making her insides tremble violently, and she could feel a scream build in her throat. She knew if she started, she would start screaming like a banshee.

She laid her palms atop the back of Isuke's hands and stroked the skin. Her voice _extra_ sweet and submissive, she pleaded, "Alpha, please. If you keep doing that you'll make me scream. We'll be discovered by a teacher for sure…"

Isuke gave a quiet grunt but she mercifully let go of Yuzu's hips and ceased her grinding. Her left hand migrated back up to the blonde's chest and closed around a naked breast. The palm of her other hand slid up the flushed skin of Yuzu's back before tangling in the blonde locks on her nape. She pulled Yuzu's head back and then sank her teeth in the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

Yuzu's lids slipped close and her mouth fell open in a pleasured gasp at the sensations that were exploded in her body. The pain in her scalp and neck sent white hot arousal sailing to her core, intensifying the pleasure from Haruki's fingers pumping into her.

Isuke loved the way Yuzu's back arched smoothly into her bite, as if offering up more of her delectable flesh. She sank her teeth into the sensitive skin just a little more when Yuzu's body made it clear that she liked a little pain. But Isuke was careful not to break the skin with her canines. _Not yet._

The sight of her gorgeous girlfriend ravishing the sweet little omega enflamed Haruki. Watching Isuke bite into Yuzu's shoulder, pulling her hair, pinching her painfully stiff nipple, and the omega writhing in pleasure at the rough treatment triggered a primal instinct to dominate, to subdue. She wanted to see the omega come undone.

Haruki leaned towards Yuzu's undulating body and closed her lips around the peak of the breast that Isuke hadn't claimed and sucked it into the hot wetness of her mouth. Her tongue licked around the perimeter of Yuzu's areola before she grazed the erect nub with her teeth. Then she gently bit down on the nipple the same time she thrust her fingers into Yuzu's pussy as deep as she could go.

The next moan that came from Yuzu was so deep and raw that it gave the two alphas chills.

The two alphas were twin virtuosos playing her body like a well-tuned instrument. To them, the sounds they were coaxing out of the omega's body was more scintillating than an aria sung by a prima donna. Her moans were practically _art._

Haruki released the nipple in her mouth and moved to the turgid tip of the other peak after Isuke also switched her hand on Yuzu's breast. She sucked hard on the blonde's nipple, then bit down. A keening whine was ripped from Yuzu's throat, and her back undulated again between the two alphas. Haruki laved her tongue around the throbbing nub to soothe it.

Yuzu was starting to feel like she was going to shatter from the pleasure thundering through her body. Isuke had a hold on the back of her head, pulling on her roots, and was sucking and biting on her neck. She had Haruki's hungry mouth around one of her nipples and Isuke pinching the other. Haruki's fingers were pumping in an out of her pussy so hard and fast, her thoughts were turning to static and her vision going white.

She simply couldn't take any more stimulation.

Oddly enough, she was bouncing on the balls of her feet to fuck herself harder on Haruki's fingers.

"That's it, that's a good girl," Haruki praised, her voice a low rumble.

Isuke let go of Yuzu's hair. She lowered her hand to slip between Yuzu and Haruki's bodies, seeking the nub that will send the omega over the edge.

Haruki glanced down, eager to watch her girlfriend work her magic. Yuzu's clit was swollen and red at the apex of her drenched folds, like a pretty jewel nestled in a delicate flower.

Yuzu yowled like a cat in heat when she felt the alpha's fingers close around the sensitive bundle of nerves. It was the kind of screech that would have set a pack of dogs howling if they heard it.

Isuke felt Yuzu's clit pulse on her fingers, like a tiny heartbeat. She started to drag a mean little circle into her clit, and Yuzu's pussy clenched hard around Haruki's fingers in response.

"Hhhnnn, oh fuuuck!" Yuzu wailed when Haruki curled her fingers into the front of her wall, and then slid down, dragging along the slightly rough patch there. A second later, Isuke carefully pinched her clit, applying an even pressure on the pulsing bud as Haruki continued to massage her anterior wall with the pads of her fingers.

Yuzu's head fell back and she let loose a scream, full-throated and raw. An unbearable surge of pleasure rose up from her center, the stimulation from the skilled fingers of the two alphas finally cresting to a peak. Her orgasm ripped through her violently, the ponderous heat that had been building inside her all day exploded, shooting lighting bolts to every part of her body.

When she returned from the edge of consciousness, Yuzu could feel Isuke's arms holding her tightly from behind and nuzzling her neck. The alpha was gently rubbing her nose against her scent gland, the patch of skin just below her ear. Yuzu could hear her inhaling her scent and making soft hums of satisfaction and contentment.

She slowly cracked open her lids to see Haruki's amber eyes staring at her, darker than she had ever seen seen them.

Haruki gently cupped her face with both hands. With a voice like warm honey pooling in her center, the alpha said, "Yuzu-chan, we want you to be our omega."

* * *

Matsuri ran faster, pumping her arms. She was barreling down the hallway with one purpose, and she ignored the girls who had to jump out of her way to avoid getting knocked over.

* * *

Almost howling in frustration, Mei rounded the corner of a hallway at top speed. She realized she had already come this way before. But still no Yuzu. Her scent still clung in the air, taunting her. Running a hand through her hair, she ran down the stairs towards the courtyard.

* * *

"Lord, what fools these mortals be!" Nio, playing Puck, said with a loud flourish.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Writing this over the holidays has been nuts. I basically wrote this in between family visiting, a ski trip, an 18-hour road trip, Disneyland, boat rides, the beach, christmas dinner, etc. This is unproofed and un-beta'd, so I hope it's not too bad! But anyway, Happy Holidays everyone!

Oh yeah, the quoted line by Nio in this chapter is from _A Midsummer Night's Dream,_ my favorite Shakespeare play. Puck is the mischievous fairy playing tricks on the lovers running around in the woods.


	11. Interruptus

Yuzu stared at Haruki as she gathered her wits. The heat in her body was dissipating, bringing down her temperature to a tolerable level.

Her legs felt like jelly. Her abdominal muscles twitched from aftershocks. She was hyper aware of the tingling between her legs. She knew it was going to be sore later but at the moment kitty was a _very_ satisfied customer. But where the hell were her panties? Isuke was still behind her, kissing and sucking on the crook of her neck. It was very distracting. So were her hands which were kneading and squeezing her boobs possessively.

Haruki had asked her a question. _Right._

"Hmmm?" was all she could come up with.

"We want you to be our mate, Yuzu-chan," Haruki repeated patiently. Holding Yuzu's head in her hands, she gently rubbed her thumbs on the blonde's cheeks.

"Mate?" Yuzu scrunched one eye shut and peered quizzically at the taller girl with the open one. "….we?"

"Isuke and I," clarified Haruki, tilting her head a little. "Who else did you think..?"

"But I mean, you guys are already together? How can either of you have another mate?" Yuzu asked, wondering if her confusion was due to Haruki and Isuke fucking her brains out.

Isuke's hands released her breasts and gently turned her around to face her. Isuke's cheeks were flushed a deep crimson, her normally perfectly styled hair deliciously tousled. Her eyes were a molten gold, brimming with arousal.

It was one of the sexiest things Yuzu had ever seen. A small flustered whine sounded from her throat.

"Haruki and I are mated, yes, but we don't stop each if they're attracted to someone else," Isuke explained. "I know everyone thinks that I'm a raging jealous girlfriend, but the truth is if Haruki told me she was seriously interested in another girl – I wouldn't kill her, contrary to popular opinion." She smiled wryly.

Yuzu's eyes widened at the implication. "Ohhhh yeah. Hmmm. Yeah, not what I expected from an alpha like you. I mean, always thought they were all territorial and stuff."

Isuke chuckled lightly as she pulled Yuzu's bra back on, snapping the front clasp. "Oh, we're both still very territorial. We're just not monogamous," she assured Yuzu.

Picking it up off the floor, Haruki slipped Yuzu's shirt through her arms. She seemed to be thinking deeply about what she was going to say next as she buttoned up Yuzu's shirt. When she finished, she cupped Yuzu's cheek and said, "It just so happens that Isuke and I _both_ really like you Yuzu-chan. We both want to be your alpha."

Two alphas? A thrill of excitement shot down Yuzu's spine as she considered the thought. Could she really handle being claimed by _two_ alphas? Her mind couldn't quite wrap itself around the idea about being emotionally involved with two people yet, but her body was enthusiastically saying _yes._

Isuke pinned her with another intense gaze. "You'll have not just one, but two alphas to take care of you. Two alphas who will adore you and shower you with love and attention."

The words wrapped around Yuzu's mind like satin tendrils. Isuke's voice had that dulcet, silken quality with an alpha-reverb that could coax any omega out of her panties.

"We'll both protect you. Everyone will know that you're our omega and no one will dare hurt you," Haruki promised with conviction. Her earthy scent, sandalwood and leather, thickened in the air.

The potent smell made Yuzu squeeze Haruki's biceps on reflex. She could feel the hard muscles underneath the smooth skin, and her knees felt weak again.

But what Isuke said next hit home.

"As your mates, we will never leave you or abandon you."

 _Fucking. Ow._

Yuzu wasn't sure if they were intentionally referring to the fact that she had been mated to an alpha at one point. It was certainly the juiciest piece of gossip in the school for a while. In any case, thinking about Mei sent a pang of pain in her chest.

"We'll take very good care of you when you're in heat. You won't wander the halls looking for an alpha for relief," Isuke's tone was reassuring, but also mildly threatening.

 **BANG!**

"You goddamn motherfuckers!"

Matsuri stood at the door, having very dramatically kicked it open. Her face was contorted in apoplectic rage as she took in the scene before her.

Matsuri lost her shit.

With a howl of uncontrolled fury, Matsuri tucked in her chin, bent at the waist and charged towards Isuke.

Isuke had a split second to consider how to deal with her pint-sized assailant who was coming at her with a headbutt. She didn't want to actually maim or seriously injure her. Yuzu would _not_ be happy if she gave her best friend a concussion or broke her ribs. And the omega still hadn't agreed to being their mate. Yup, better be on the safe side; don't kill Mizusawa. Besides, Isuke kind of liked the small alpha. She was scrappy.

Alpha instincts made Haruki stand back to shield Yuzu with her body, even though she and Isuke knew Matsuri didn't stand a chance of landing a single strike.

With a little sigh, Isuke brought her right knee up and twisted her hip the exact second Matsuri entered kicking distance. Mindful not to pick up too much velocity that would send the other girl flying into the wall, she extended her leg in a sidekick.

"Hrrgh," choked Matsuri as the air was knocked out of her chest when the sole of Isuke's cocked foot slammed into her stomach.

"Matsuri!" Yuzu shrieked as the aforementioned girl fell back, crashing into a bookcase. She ran over and immediately started patting around her friend's head, frantically searching for signs of blood or any fatal injuries.

"Oh, she'll be fine, I barely kicked her," Isuke said, completely blasé. "Walk it off, shortstack."

Clutching her stomach and throwing daggers with her eyes, Matsuri spat, "You can walk straight to hell, bitch."

Isuke tsked, canting her body to one side and placing her hand on her hip. "Well now you're just going to make me mad. I was being nice to you. Next time I won't be pulling my punches."

"Get the fuck out of here. Leave Yuzu alone," Matsuri growled, still sitting on her butt on the floor. "Don't come near her again."

A sardonic smile curled over the side of Isuke's face. "Uh, no." Shaking her head and chuckling, "That's not how this works, Shawshank. Do you even know who you're talking to?"

Even Haruki, the strong and silent type who refrained from overt displays of alpha posturing, giggled at the idea of Matsuri mouthing off to them.

"You don't give orders to me or Haruki. _You_ get out of here Mizusawa, before I change my mind and beat the snot out of you for real," Isuke threatened, her brow furrowing.

Haruki and Isuke were staring down at Matsuri expecting her to get up and scamper away.

They both felt the instant another alpha stepped into the room. The energy was _formidable_. Very, very formidable.

Shiraho Suzuran stood at the doorway, face expressionless as she gazed into the room.

The hair on Isuke and Haruki's neck stood on end.

"Say hello to the fucking cavalry," grumbled Matsuri.

Suzuran entered the room, her obsidian tresses cascading down her back and over her shoulders like sails fluttering in an ocean wind.

Her scent slithered into the room as she walked in, stealthy but conspicuous at the same time. Like the bodyguards in suits and dark glasses who tried to discreetly follow her every minute outside of Aihara Academy. Her scent lacked any trace of emotion, but that was deliberate in design. The singular characteristic of her scent was simply that of her _family._

Suzuran was the heir of the Shiraho clan, one of the oldest ruling families of Japan. She carried its legacy as her birthright, along with its power, wealth, and influence.

"Inukai-san, Sagae-san." Suzuran acknowledged the two alphas with a bow. "I'm afraid that I must ask you to leave."

A cold rage gripped Isuke. Dread shot into the pit of her stomach when she realized that Matsuri had managed to recruit as an ally the one person in the whole school that she could _not_ go up against.

As a member of the school's alpha pack, and right hand to Azuma Tokaku, Isuke sat very high on the high school's hierarchy. She didn't fear anyone. Not even Aihara Mei.

But Suzuran was different. The girl was practically a ghost – she was extremely quiet, always blended in the shadows, never drew attention to herself despite being one of the twenty alphas in the school of more than 300 students.

But what _was_ formidable was the girl's clan. The Shiraho family owned the largest construction company in the country, and their power and influence was deeply entrenched in all levels of business and politics.

Shiraho Suzuran was not a person Isuke could lay a finger on. She couldn't very well wage war on one of the most powerful families in the country by getting into a brawl with her over Yuzu. She knew that objectively, the families of two of her packmates – Azuma Tokaku and Hanabusa Sumireko –were rich and powerful enough to challenge the Shiraho clan. But Isuke knew that Tokaku nor Sumireko would agree to involve their families and the resources of their pack in her personal conquest to claim Yuzu as her mate.

She cut her gaze to Matsuri.

Matsuri's lip pulled into a snarl. _Checkmate._

Trembling from head to toe in barely restrained fury, Isuke turned her head to the right and tilted back slightly, baring her neck to Suzuran in the universal sign for submission. Tears pricked her eyes from the rage that was boiling underneath her skin.

* * *

Mei bounded up the main staircase of Aihara Academy, taking the steps two at a time. Sweat clung to her shirt from frantically running around the school. She couldn't even tell how long she had been searching for Yuzu. Fifteen minutes? A half hour? 45 minutes? All she knew was that she needed to find Yuzu immediately. She was desperate. Her mind raced; her thoughts roiled like storm clouds. She wondered if that was why she couldn't seem to track down her stepsister. Or if someone up there just wanted to make her life a living hell.

 _Seriously, fuck my life._ Mei reached the second floor landing with her chest heaving. She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. _Focus. Be still_. Honing her sense of hearing and smell, she did another sweep of the immediate area for Yuzu.

 _There!_ She finally clocked on something solid. A burst of omega heat pheromones.

But it seemed…off. Muddled. Diluted. Adulterated.

Her nose wrinkling involuntarily, she ran towards Yuzu's scent.

* * *

"Babe, stop." Haruki reached for Isuke's elbow to halt her march down the hallway. She pulled the pink-haired girl in an embrace. "Shhhh, it's okay," she whispered in her girlfriend's ear.

Isuke allowed herself to be soothed by Haruki. Her body still vibrated from pent up fury. She took a shuddering breath, drawing in Haruki's scent. The familiar scent of sandalwood and leather grounded her. Haruki really was the yang to her yin.

"Breathe…one, two, three, four. That's it," Haruki directed. When the Isuke's breathing evened out a little, she said, "It's going to be okay, my love. I'm proud of you for not doing anything hasty."

Isuke growled against Haruki's chest at being reminded of the disaster that just happened.

"We shouldn't have underestimated Mizusawa. Who would have guessed that creepy millionaire heiress was her ace in the hole?" She squeezed Isuke's neck. "But we need to convene the pack first. Then we can figure out our next move. It'll be okay."

"I just cannot believe that we were blindsided by some rich girl who pulled rank," Isuke spat.

The sound of running footfalls in the quiet corridor caused the two girls to snap their heads up. A moment later, Aihara Mei appeared from around a corner.

It took a delayed second for Mei's brain to process the information that her olfactory sense was giving her. When it finally clicked that she was smelling Yuzu's scent on these two _hoes_ , her jaw dropped.

"What are you staring at, Prez?" Isuke snapped. She was in no mood to tolerate any bullshit from anyone.

Mei swallowed against the fiery ball of anger that appeared in her throat. The two alphas were covered in the smell of sex. _Yuzu's sex_. Despair, rage, confusion, and regret swirled in her brain. She was going to vomit.

Willing her voice not to shake, Mei demanded, "Where's Yuzu?"

Isuke's brow furrowed as she stared at Mei. The Ice Queen was glaring at them with fire in her eyes, an inferno ensconced in a glacier. A smirk curled over the side of her face. "She's probably on her way home, Prez. She seemed pretty tuckered out."

"What did you do to her?" Mei hissed.

Golden eyes glittered with a taunting spark. "We didn't do anything to her that she didn't beg for."

Mei struggled to cool the jealousy and possessiveness that was roaring through her veins like bestial wildfire.

Because Isuke wasn't lying. They didn't take Yuzu by force. Her stepsister's scent on the two alphas would have smelled sharp and bitter if there was a struggle.

 _This is what you get. Because you broke your mate bond. Now look. Look what happened._

The urge to pound Isuke's face with her fists swelled in her chest, but Mei willed her body to _stand down_. She deserved this, didn't she? She had no right to Yuzu anymore. They weren't mated. She was not her sister's alpha.

Defeated, Mei turned and started to walk away from the two girls.

"Oh, Prez?" Isuke called after her in a saccharine voice.

She turned around and saw Isuke dangling a pair of white lace panties at the end of her forefinger. The girl had an unhinged, manic look in her eyes. Like she was itching to run full speed towards self-destruction.

"Your sister tastes delicious," Isuke said slowly, a Cheshire cat smile on her lips.

Mei's first two swings came in fast and sloppy, fueled by blind rage, and Isuke blocked them easily.

Then a solid right hook cracked across Isuke's cheek, making her head snap to the side. The taste of copper blazed across her palette, and Isuke made a little moan of pleasure, of relief. She caught the back of Aihara Mei's neck and pulled, then drove her knee into the girl's stomach.

* * *

"For the millionth time, I don't know why I went into heat!" Yuzu lied. She crossed her arms and huffed.

Sitting beside her in the backseat of Suzuran's chauffeured car, Matsuri rubbed her fingertips against her temples. "It's just bizarre for you to go into heat out of cycle, Yuzu-chan. The first few heats can be unpredictable – but not _this_ unpredictable. It's way off."

Troubled cobalt blue eyes met evasive emerald. "It had to have been triggered by something. Stress. Trauma. Or shock."

"I told you, I am fine. I've been doing so good lately! I didn't have some kind of emotional breakdown yesterday." _Wow, how did I get so good at lying?_ Yuzu pressed on, "It was just a fluke. These things happen."

Matsuri sighed deeply, and buried her face in her hands with a groan.

Yuzu's heart twisted at seeing the girl so distraught. She rubbed small circles on Matsuri's back.

"Hey, I know you feel like this is somehow your fault. That you feel responsible…but that's crazy. I went into heat unexpectedly, and there's nothing you or I could have done to stop it."

Matsuri gave a little shiver from Yuzu's fingers carding through her pink hair. She was about to say something else but the car stopped in front of Yuzu's apartment building.

"Welp, this is me. Thank you for the ride, Shirapon," Yuzu said with her hand on the car door handle. "Later, Matsuri. I'll call you tonight, okay?"

Suzuran spoke up from the front seat. "Actually, I'd like a word with you before you leave, if that's all right, Yuzupon?"

Yuzu stiffened nervously. Matsuri looked ready to object, but obviously could not. Not after what Suzuran did for them today.

"Oh, sure." With a forced smile Yuzu shoved open the door and stepped out onto the curb.

Suzuran exited the Bentley and joined Yuzu on the sidewalk. She silently regarded Yuzu with an inscrutable expression that only intensified Yuzu's anxiety.

"Is something wrong, Shirapon?" Yuzu said, nervously pulling at the hem of her skirt. She suddenly remembered that she was commando under her uniform. _Fuck, where did my panties go? Real classy Yuzu, coming home from school without underwear on._

"No, nothing is wrong. But I have a favor to ask of you Yuzupon. It seems that we might be of use to one another."

Yuzu's heart kicked in her chest. She wasn't remotely sure how she could be _of use_ to this girl. Maybe she thought Yuzu owed her now. She hoped not. First of all, she didn't need any rescuing from Isuke and Haruki. She didn't say that to Matsuri earlier because she simply didn't have the emotional bandwidth for a knock-down argument tonight.

"What do you know about the Shiraho clan, Yuzu-chan?"

"They are…" she searched for the words. _Rich as hell? Super powerful_? _Rumored to be involved with the Yakuza?_ "Old."

Suzuran graced her with a rare smile, amusement twinkling in her dark green eyes. The heiress very rarely displayed any sort of emotion, but always seemed to make an exception for Yuzu.

"Uh, as in they've been around a long time," Yuzu offered lamely.

"Yes," Shirapon agreed, still smiling. "And when a family has a long, distinguished line like mine, there are certain expectations. One of them being that all alphas in the family are expected to be mated to a suitable omega."

Yuzu's mouth went dry.

"You may not realize how rare a true omega like you are."

Yuzu's heart began a strange gallop in her chest. _Oh, man. Is this happening? Is Shirapon about to ask me out? What is it with the alphas today?_

"I'm not asking you out. Not really." Suzuran shrugged. "But I do need your help."

"How can I—?"

"All I ask is that you come to my house one evening, when it is convenient for you. My family will be delighted to know that I am acquainted with an omega. That alone should buy me…time."

"And less pressure for you, I'm sure."

Suzuran nodded, the hopeful look in her face tugging at Yuzu's heartstrings. _Dammit. I'm such a sucker for puppy dog eyes._

"Just one night?"

"That's all it will take, I am sure."

Yuzu pulled at the hem of her skirt again. "Then yes. I'm happy to visit you some night soon, Shirapon."

* * *

Yuzu sagged against the elevator wall as she rode up to her apartment. Now that she was alone, all the insanity of the last few hours crashed down on her. The events of the day were crazy enough, but the most concerning of all were these alphas suddenly front and center in her life.

 _Matsuri._

 _Isuke and Haruki._

 _Shirapon._

Four alphas. And they all seemed to want something different from her.

She wasn't going to lie to herself. Being surrounded by alphas was…nice, to put it mildly. Especially after being abandoned by a certain raven-haired alpha who she used to live with.

But now she felt pulled in all different directions, and if today was any indication, she couldn't actually keep a stable of alphas without it turning into an outright disaster. _They make harem stories look so easy and fun in manga._

She entered the apartment and carelessly dumped her things and shoes in the entryway, not noticing the pair of shoes that weren't hers tucked neatly in a cubby.

"Alexa, turn on living room," Yuzu said as she walked towards the kitchen.

The light from the lamp on the coffee table beside the sofa clicked on, allowing Yuzu to read the small dry erase board attached to the front of the refrigerator. There was a note from Mama reminding her to clean the bathroom tomorrow.

"I might as well do it now," muttered Yuzu to herself. She headed to her room to change her clothes before tackling the chore.

She pushed the door to her bedroom open. Her heart jumped in her throat.

Sitting at her desk, was Mei.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

So yeah, there's the big reveal as to who was the alpha that Matsuri approached at the end of Chapter 6. Using Suzuran as an alpha who could foil Haruki and Isuke's plans was one the earliest plot bunnies I had when I started writing this story. Suzuran seemed the perfect character to use as Isuke's nemesis because in Akuma no Riddle, Isuke's adoptive father is an assassin for hire. In Citrus, the nature of the Shiraho business is never elaborated on, but I always thought the bodyguards with the dark glasses and the heavily guarded mansion made it look like they were Yakuza. Or had some ties to it. So my plan was to write it like, Isuke couldn't go up against Suzuran because her Dad was hired by Shiraho clan as an assassin, and it would be conflict of interest, etc etc. But obviously that's not what came out when I actually wrote the scene. There was already so much exposition happening in the scene, and I'm like, eh. They're just sworn enemies, BECUZ.

This chapter was hard to write because so many side storylines were converging. Nature of the beast, I guess. Definitely felt like my plot chickens were coming home to roost. Anyway, next chapter is Yuzu and Mei having some talks. I know some of y'all are irritated at the lack of YuzuMei interaction in the recent chapters (especially the last one, ohoho did that piss off some people), but like…remember in the manga where Mei didn't appear for FOUR WHOLE CHAPTERS? That it was just four chapters of Yuzu-centric angst?! Yeah, I remember that…

Anywhooo..thoughts?


	12. Secrets

It was the second time in a little over 24 hours that Mei appeared before Yuzu unexpectedly.

Mei was calmly sitting at her desk reading a textbook. The room was dark, except for the small desk lamp that cast a halo of pale orange light around her.

Mei didn't acknowledge Yuzu as she walked into the room. She stared unseeing at the textbook pages for a long moment before she looked at her stepsister. The slow turn of her head was like the infinitesimal movement of a glacier.

Their eyes met across the bedroom. The distance between Yuzu and Mei felt like sad, bitter years. The stretch of floor between them was a minefield of perceived betrayals, fresh wounds, and painful misunderstandings. All it would take was one false move and the whole thing would blow sky high.

"What are you doing here, Mei?" Yuzu asked quietly as she took a few cautious steps into the room, not knowing what else to say.

Mei pushed back her chair and stood, the legs scraping loudly against the floor. She stepped up to Yuzu and said, "I have something for you. Hold out your hand."

Yuzu complied, opening her right fist.

Mei reached into her pocket and pulled out a ball of white lace. She placed it in Yuzu's outstretched hand.

Yuzu stared at the garment in her hand. She swallowed.

"I see you've retrieved my panties. Thank you, Mei." Yuzu snapped her eyes up to meet the stoic face of her stepsister. No response. The girl looked like she was carved from marble.

"This is great, because, this is a custom La Perla. I'd hate to lose my favorite thong." Yuzu shifted her weight to one foot. "Um."

The stare that Mei was giving her could have turned Perseus to stone. Several tense seconds passed and Yuzu wished Mei would just get it done and over with and grab her and shake her until her brains rattled in her head. Then they could get move on from this awkward situation.

"My dearest sister, Yuzu," Mei finally said. "Could you explain to me _why_ you were separated from your underwear while at school today?" The way Mei delivered the facetious question with complete and utter sangfroid sent a chill down Yuzu's spine.

Her cheeks burning with embarrassment, Yuzu lifted her chin and said, "I don't have to answer that. You're not the boss of me." Of course the unspoken words were _you're not my alpha_.

Mei was taken aback. Amethyst eyes narrowed into slits, jaw clenched. Her scent turned cold and bracing, a punishing winter breeze.

Yuzu refused to be intimidated. Frankly, it was because she was too exhausted to care. She had already been dealing with four other alphas and _their_ demands; she had been suffering through an abnormal heat since this morning; she had been propositioned into joining a three-way relationship, and she had orgasmed so hard she saw stars. She had zero fucks to give. The field in which she grew her fucks was fallow.

She was very tired and all she wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep it off. But now Mei was here, the source of her torment for the last six weeks and the reason why she was triggered into an abnormal heat in the first place. And _she_ had the _gall_ to reprimand _her_ about the fact that _she_ lost her _panties_. _Honestly. This bitch._

"Fine," Mei snapped. "You don't have to tell me why you're leaving your underwear behind like you're Gretel leaving a trail of breadcrumbs in the forest." She crossed her arms across her chest and leveled Yuzu with an imperious look. "But underwear is a required article of clothing for the Aihara Academy uniform. So once again, you are in violation of the dress code at our school."

Yuzu's right eye twitched at Mei's pedantic tone. The one she absolutely hated.

"You!" Yuzu yelled, jabbing a finger into Mei's upper chest. "This," – _jab_ "is," – _jab_ "all," – _jab_ "your," – _jab_ "fault!" – _jab._

Mei took a step back for each jab at her chest. The back of her thighs hit the seat of her desk chair.

"I went into heat, Mei! Out of cycle! I went into heat because you drove me crazy! Because you broke our mate bond, disappeared from my life for six weeks, then randomly showed up, tell me you want to come home, and then walk away again! I hate it! I'm tired of this emotional whiplash and your inability to deal with your feelings or what the fuck ever, because it's kind of wrecking my life! Gah!"

Mei's hands shot out to stop Yuzu from coming closer and toppling her against the chair.

"So get off my dick about the crazy stuff that happened to me because _you_ caused them. You don't get to tell me jack shit, this is all because you gave me a mate bite and then the very next day decide we should unbond! Plus, you said some really mean shit to me that day!"

Mei felt the walls close in around her. Her chest felt impossibly tight, and she had the strong urge to shove Yuzu away from her and run out of the room. Between a fight or flight response, she definitely wanted to choose _flight_. She had decided long ago that she would never fight with her stepsister again. She couldn't handle the consequences.

But at this moment she knew she couldn't run away either. She was out of chances.

Mei managed to stutter, "You're right, I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. Don't be angry. Please. I'll do anything, anything."

"Where did you even find this?" Yuzu angrily tossed the offending item over her shoulder and frowned at Mei, who had an uncharacteristic deer in headlights look in her eyes.

 _I pried them from the fingers of an unconscious Inukai Isuke. After I dropkicked Sagae Haruki in the funballs._

"From resident mean girls Inukai Isuke and Sagae Haruki."

Yuzu's frown deepened and a pouty lip jutted out, as petulant as her tone. "They're not mean. I swear, people spread such nasty rumors."

"Really, Yuzu? You went with those two? You couldn't have chosen a worse pair of –"

"Well who do suggest I should have gone to?!" Yuzu retorted.

"Uh…" Mei's response got stuck in her throat and died a cowardly death before it could go past her lips.

"That's what I thought," muttered Yuzu as she pulled herself back from Mei. She turned around and walked to the closet. After rummaging around for clothes to change into, she casually tossed over her shoulder, "So did you just come here to break my balls, or—?"

"No." Mei ran a shaky hand through her hair. "I'm home."

* * *

Yuzu entered the bedroom while drying her hair with a fluffy bath towel.

After she angrily cleaned the bathroom, she took a nice long shower in the hopes of washing away the stress and craziness of the day. She was definitely feeling more magnanimous towards her stepsister and less stabby.

"Bath's free now, Mei," Yuzu said softly.

Mei was back in her desk staring at her textbook. She nodded once, collected her clothes and left the room without looking at Yuzu.

When the door clicked shut, Yuzu let herself fall on the bed and heaved a huge sigh. She stared up at the ceiling for a long time.

Her reverie was interrupted by the trill of her phone. Still lying down, Yuzu reached for her iPhone.

"Yo," Harumi said when the FaceTime video appeared on Yuzu's screen. The brunette was sitting at her desk in her room.

"Hey…" Yuzu said cautiously.

"Holy shit, Yuzucchi. What the hell happened today?"

Yuzu groaned. "What did Matsuri tell you?"

"Everything."

Another long groan. "Is this where you give me the come-to-Jesus talk?"

The slightly grainy video of Harumi's face gazed silenty at Yuzu for a long moment. Her expression visibly softened and she said, "No, Yuzucchi. I'm not going to jump down your throat for your choices. I mean, you weren't like coerced into doing it with those two, right?"

Yuzu chewed on her lip again _._ "Hey, Harumi…you're alone, right? Matsuri isn't like right there?"

"No, of course not," Harumi replied, unconsciously matching Yuzu's worried expression. "I mean she did want to come over but Mitsuko has been breathing down my neck about studying more or whatever. Anyway, I would never – "

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. You're my ride or die, you know that?"

"Pretty sure you also call Matsuri that too, but okay." A lopsided tugged on the side of Harumi's face. "But yeah, babe. Bros before hoes. Always. You can always tell me everything. Your deepest and darkest secrets."

Yuzu twirled a lock of her damp hair on her finger. "Okay, god. Where do I even start…yes, I was not coerced. In fact, it was about the farthest as one could get from being coerced."

Harumi's eyes widened. "Ohhhh…."

"Like, I was all for it."

Harumi's pained smile was Yuzu's clue that her best friend was not down with getting all the dirty details.

"Okay, look. I had an abnormal heat. Totally out of cycle, obviously. I was completely unprepared for the wave of horny that came over me. It felt bigger than me, like it was out of my hands."

Harumi nodded, empathy shining in her hazel eyes. Yuzu might be acting all cavalier about it, but Harumi knew that going into heat bothered her friend a great deal. As with all omegas, actually. Who liked losing control over their bodies every three months? No one, obviously.

"But the truth is, when they showed up as I was wandering the halls, I was glad. I may have unconsciously sought them out."

"Whoa."

"I like them both, okay? I mean, anyone with eyes in their head can see that they are smoking hot. And jesus, Haruki…she's just so sexy. She walks into a room and I turn into a puddle. And Isuke… I don't even know where to start. Pretty sure my eyes turn heart-shaped when she talks to me."

"Yeah, sounds like some legit thirst," Harumi muttered.

"Here's the craziest part. They asked me to be their omega."

"Wait, what?"

"They're like, Yuzu-chan, be our omega. We'll be your alphas. Protect you and love you, et cetera."

"And to that you said?"

"Matsuri busted in and went into berserker mode."

"Ah. Yeah, she may have mentioned that there was a scuffle."

"Okay, there's more."

"Oh god."

"Mei. Mei is here. She's home."

This time, Harumi didn't try to mask her reaction. "Oh, Yuzu," she said reproachfully with a grimace.

"I knooow! She just showed up! And she had my— nevermind."

"Your what?"

"Nothing, not important." Yuzu waved her hand dismissively. "Anyway, I went off on her. Totally ripped her a new one. Gave her a piece of my mind."

"Good!" Harumi said indignantly. "Girl had it coming."

Yuzu raised and lowered her shoulders in a deep sigh. "Totally. She put me through hell. You don't even know all of it. But Harumi…."

"Yes…." Harumi mimicked Yuzu's tone. She knew what Yuzu was going to say.

"I totally still have feelings for her!" Yuzu dramatically flung her arm to cover her eyes. "It's so _dumb_ and I know I need to move on…but dammit. I'm still tore up about her. But I want us to just go back to being stepsisters. Be normal again. Because there's no way we'll actually work out. Heck, she unmated from me, right? So really, I should get with Haruki and Isuke."

Harumi sighed deeply and scratched her forehead underneath her blunt bangs. "There's a lot to unpack here, but let's start with the most problematic one…"

The creak of the door opening interrupted the two girls' conversation. Yuzu widened her eyes and Harumi halted her sentence.

"All right, thanks for picking up my homework Harumi, I really appreciate it! I'll get started on this stuff tomorrow. Have a good night, love you, bye!"

Yuzu hastily tapped the end call button and tossed the phone on the bed. She swiped the recent issue of **_Comic Yuri Hime_** from the bedside table and opened the magazine to a random page and pretended to read. From the corner of her eye, she watched Mei pack up her papers and textbooks into her school bag. Her stepsister still didn't make eye contact with her or glance her way.

Yuzu's mouth twisted at the obvious discomfort of her stepsister, if her stiff posture and tense movements was any indication. _Great. She hates this. She hates me. She probably wants to leave again._

When Mei stepped towards the bed, Yuzu snapped her eyes back towards the magazine. Her eyes focused on the art of Kodama Naoko, one of her favorite mangakas. A quick scan of the double-page spread revealed that it was some kind of teacher – student romance. She made a mental note to read that story first when she came back to the magazine _later._

Yuzu felt the mattress dip slightly when Mei sat on her side of the bed, the one opposite the wall with the window. Mei lifted the blanket and slipped underneath, and turned on her side, facing away from Yuzu.

And just like that, with Mei lying on her side underneath the sheets, it was like they were back to the way things were before. Before Yuzu presented as an omega. Before the mate bite and the subsequent unbonding. Back when they were simply Yuzu and Mei, stepsisters who didn't see eye to eye but slept in the same bed at night.

Yuzu placed the magazine on the bedside table and tugged the cord on the lamp, plunging the bedroom in shadowy darkness.

She got underneath the covers and laid on her back. She was acutely aware of the presence of her stepsister in their bed.

Yuzu scooted towards the opposite side of the bed and was tugging on Mei's shoulder to make her lie on her back before she could even think about what she was doing. Like a heat-seeking missile, she couldn't have resisted the impulse to draw closer to Mei if she tried.

A faint wash of moonlight from the edge of the window curtains illuminated the apprehensive expression on Mei's face, worry swimming in the depths of her amethyst eyes.

Heart knocking in her chest, Mei peered up at the girl leaning over her. Yuzu's face was in shadow, but the golden curtain of her hair was luminescent where it caught the moonlight. Mei waited with bated breath for Yuzu's next move.

Yuzu sank into Mei like she was water.

Mei felt the weight of Yuzu's body press into her own, their chests mostly touching, Yuzu's leg sliding over hers. A hand grasped the curve of her shoulder.

Yuzu's face pressed into the side of her neck.

Yuzu inhaled deeply, drawing the alpha's scent into her lungs. Her eyes slipping shut, she gave herself over to Mei's scent. Snow falling on pines. Cedar logs burning in the fireplace during a cold winter morning. Crisp, clean and fresh, but also warm. It was the scent that Yuzu loved most in the world. It was all Mei.

Yuzu felt a such a sense of relief that she had to hold back a sob.

Mei released the breath that was previously trapped in her chest. She waited a few moments and realized that Yuzu wasn't going to get off her anytime soon. Tentatively, she wrapped her arms around the omega.

The moment Yuzu was fully in her embrace, and seemed to snuggle into it, Mei's heart soared. The last seven weeks had truly been hell – and this was the first moment that Mei felt like she was finally stepping out of the darkness.

Yuzu was in her arms. The blonde had now shifted down and settled her head on her chest. Their bodies fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

Mei felt hope swell in her chest. Maybe they could repair their broken relationship after all. Yuzu would forgive her, and they could go back to the way things were. She didn't deserve to be Yuzu's mate. She knew she didn't stand a chance of winning her back even if she tried. But she would settle for being sisters. For being _friends_. She would take any kind of situation where she could be back in Yuzu's life, by her side. And she would be thankful for it.

She would just have to lock away the part of her that was in love with Yuzu. Locked away with all her other hopeless dreams and desires.

She had spent most of her life concealing and masking her emotions. So she's had years of practice for this. Yuzu will never know.

"Mei."

"Yes?"

"You smell so good. And warm. I'm gonna sleep so good tonight. Finally. No nightmares," Yuzu murmured sleepily against her chest. "Goodnight." She snuggled deeper into Mei's side before going still, exhaustion finally taking her.

Mei stared up at the ceiling for hours after that, wondering if she also had the power to not _feel_ her emotions.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thank you so much for everyone who took the time to review this story! It's really awesome to hear reader's reaction with what's going on in this fic. And if you have any questions, post them! It's useful for me to know what is unclear and if I need to address it in the next chapter. The most questions I get are about the alpha/beta/omega elements of the story. Again, this is a trope that fanfic writers adapt to their own stories however they see fit, so if you encounter another a/b/o or omegaverse story, it will be different from my story.

Also, if you want, follow me on tumblr! I reblog stuff about my femslash ships, anything that makes me lol, and some random thoughts I have about writing and books.

sappho82 . tumblr . com


	13. Put Out This Fire

Mei was slowly being dragged into consciousness from the murky fathoms of a restless sleep. Something was luring her to the surface.

Warmth. An enticing smell. Gentle rocking motions, like waves lapping at a virgin shore.

A siren song.

A pull deep in her abdomen.

She broke the surface of the water.

Darkness greeted Mei when she cracked open her eyelids. Her mind still sluggish with sleep, she tried to quickly take stock of her surroundings.

The sweet aroma of Yuzu's heat was the first thing that filtered through her senses. The floral smell of midnight jasmine was heady, dark, and infused with musk. Mei felt her body come to life as she inhaled the intoxicating bouquet, electricity thrumming through her veins.

It became apparent that Yuzu's scent was so potent because the girl was on top of her.

Yuzu's face was pressed against the juncture of her neck and shoulder, and she could feel her hot breath puffing against her skin. She could feel the girl's chest pressing on her own, pinning her in place somewhat, but she could feel that Yuzu was balancing some of her weight on her forearms, which were pressed into the mattress on each side of her torso.

The next thing that came through the sleepy haze was that Yuzu was rocking against the length of her body.

Yuzu was grinding on her thigh. Gently, with isolated hip movements, as if she was trying not to jostle the girl underneath her. On one hand, Mei appreciated the fact that Yuzu was trying to _not_ wake her up as she was using her to masturbate. That seemed pretty considerate, right?

On the other hand.

She could feel a trail of wetness on the bare skin of her right thigh from Yuzu grinding her heated center against her. The blonde was still wearing her sleep shorts, but had soaked through them.

 _Lord almighty. Please give me the strength._

The smell of Yuzu's arousal got progressively stronger with each pass of Yuzu's center against her thigh, and she could _taste_ the omega's wetness in the back of her throat. Mei switched to breathing through her mouth so she wouldn't breathe in the smell.

Then the omega started to moan softly against her neck, and the sound sent what felt like molten magma pooling in her core.

The alpha struggled with the arousal that was threatening to hijack her mind, sending all her logic and reason to go down in flames.

Yuzu was still in heat. Being a pseudo-heat, it wasn't as intense or as long as a regular one, but it was still very much a biological impulse that called on her to mate with the omega. Why did she come home tonight? Why didn't she wait until even just the next day to return to the apartment?

Because once again she wasn't thinking when it came to Yuzu. She just let the anger after her confrontation with Isuke and Haruki drive her to seek out Yuzu immediately.

Mei clenched her jaw so hard it was in danger of cracking. _Well, I guess the punishment for not thinking through your decisions is that you'll have to lie here and let your omega stepsister grind on your thigh._

Yuzu seemed to be having a harder time keeping quiet, as a low moan reverberated in her chest and fell from her lips, and straight into Mei's ears. Her hips started to rock just a little faster, sliding against the convex surface of Mei's thigh, aided by the generous amount of wetness coating her skin.

Mei screwed her eyes tight and pushed the back of her skull against the pillow, wishing she could detach her head from her besieged body, which her stepsister was using for her sexual pleasure.

Yuzu tilted her head slightly from the crook of Mei's shoulder and pressed soft lips against her jaw. The alpha could feel the tip of a tongue lightly lick her skin.

A breath rattled in Mei's chest as she fought her alpha to stand down. _Stay still. Not yours to claim. Last time, ended badly. Now, only sisters._

 _Only sisters…_

The urge to grab hold of Yuzu's hips, roll them over until the omega was pinned under her, push her knees open…raged in her limbs like a forest fire, consuming everything in its path. Her hands fisted the sheets at her side, desperate for anything to occupy her hands.

 _Sisters…only sisters!_

"Mei," whined the omega before wrapping her lips around a pulse point. A second later Yuzu slipped her hand under the alpha's shirt and curled her hand around the girl's breast. Desire shot through Mei with so much ferocity that she barely stopped her back from arching off the bed.

The omega's hand felt warm wrapped around her breast, squeezing possessively. Her touch was confident and sure, as if she knew that Mei would just let her touch her as much as she wanted with no risk of reprisal.

She wasn't wrong.

The thought sent a shudder through her body, being powerless, lying on her back giving her conflicting feelings of indignant anger and arousal. The anger was entwined with the arousal, it was the same shade of red, the same scorching heat, the same lick of flame.

Almost groaning with frustration, Mei wondered why she was getting some kind of sick pleasure from being pinned by the omega and letting her have her way with her.

Yuzu dragged her thumb over her nipple, raising a tingle in her spine that shot straight to her own clit, making her suck in air through clenched teeth. It became too much. Mei pressed her lips together to keep a whimper from being torn from her throat as Yuzu continued to brush her thumb over the peak of her breast until it hardened.

It seemed that Yuzu had abandoned the pretense of stealthily grinding on her. The omega had picked up a rhythm, and she was starting to crescendo towards a climax.

All Mei could do was lay back and burn.

Somewhere, waves crashed against jagged cliffs, worlds collided, and planets fell into black holes, violence and hunger incarnate.

It was starting to become too much. Yuzu's wetness on her leg as she glided back and back on forth on the slick skin, breath skittering against her neck, pawing at her breast.

The onslaught of sensations coupled with the scent of Yuzu's heat cracked her resolve, chipping away a small part of her self-control. Her hands released the sheets and grabbed hold of Yuzu's hips.

Digging her fingertips into the pliant flesh of her hips, she took the omega's grinding under her own power and moved her back and forth against her. She brought her knee up to deepen the contact between their centers. More pressure, more contact between their bodies, more friction for her omega. Just _more._

Yuzu gave a strangled cry when the delicious friction between her legs increased under the alpha's strong grip. She reveled at the sensation of Mei's hands on her body, her omega preening that she was finally able to entice the alpha into touching her. Both her hands came up to wrap themselves around Mei's shoulders.

Her breath turned into panting, the friction between her legs loosed a roaring fire that sent white hot flames to lick the insides of her belly. She was losing jurisdiction over her body, her grinding on the alpha turning erratic and frenzied, as she chased her orgasm as it raced up her spine.

Distantly she felt Mei's drag her fingernails on her hips and down to the sides of her legs. The searing lines of pain made her core clench, pushing her over the edge, and she came with a keening cry as she was thrown into her orgasm.

As Yuzu rode the waves of pleasure crashing through her body, she knew that this climax was the culmination of her heat. The inferno that raged in her body was quelled by glacier storms and arctic blue waters.

As her breathing began to even out, Yuzu wiggled a little bit before settling on the most comfortable position for her torso on top of Mei's chest. Tomorrow, she would have to sort through her mental timeline of the last 24 hours in order to record data of her abnormal heat. For now, she was sated, sleepy, and lying on top of her alpha.

Drawing Mei's scent into her lungs, Yuzu slipped into a calm, peaceful sleep. Her dreams were of gentle snowscapes as far as the eye could see, snowy white drifts glittering like diamonds under a brilliant winter sun.

* * *

Having finished eating her breakfast and talking with her mother, Mei returned to the bedroom to get her book bag. She opened the bag to double check that she had packed everything she needed to school that day. The student activity budget for the upcoming culture festival? Check. The working draft for the quarterly newsletter? Check. Her math homework? Check.

Satisfied, she zipped up the bag on top of her desk and turned to face Yuzu who was sitting up on the bed. Her heart throbbed in her chest when her gaze fell on the girl.

Yuzu was in the middle of sea of rumpled blankets and pillows, rubbing her eyes with her fist. Sunlight streamed through the curtained windows behind her, outlining her form with rays of light and catching glints of gold in her hair. Her hair was a tousled mess but she managed to look breathtakingly beautiful as she swept her fringe off her forehead and offered Mei an incandescent smile, a supernova of warmth and light.

An epiphany came to Mei in that moment. Yuzu would be the only one for her. Forever. Even if their relationship never fully recovered from the unbonding, even when they grew older and eventually followed their own separate paths in life and became estranged from each other… no one else would ever come close to her. No other potential mate could breathe the same air as her beloved stepsister.

Mei couldn't decide whether she wanted to laugh or cry.

She reminded herself of what needed to be done to maintain the tenacious state of their current relationship, and that it wouldn't do her any favors to dwell on things that were hopeless this early in the morning.

As she approached the bed, the scent of spring rains and wildflowers enveloped her, gentle and light, no longer suffused with omega heat. She laid her hand on Yuzu's shoulder in an attempt at a friendly gesture. "Do you need anything else before I leave?"

Yuzu reached up and covered Mei's hand with her own. "No, I'm good. Thanks for asking."

Even though she felt awkward for keeping her hand on Yuzu's shoulder, she kept it there because she craved the physical contact, knowing she would be separated from Yuzu for the day. Her rational mind knew that it was only going to be about ten hours, but she couldn't help herself for taking what closeness she could get from the blonde, after being deprived of it so long.

"Of course," Mei replied. "Just stay in bed today, okay? You should get as much rest as you can."

"I actually feel fine now. Really. My heat has passed," Yuzu insisted with a squeeze of Mei's hand.

"I believe you. You don't feel feverish at all," Mei observed. "But you should stay home in any case. Even if your heat is over, you need at least a day to recuperate. And besides, students can be excused from classes for up to five days for their heat. You might as well take advantage of that."

A smirk curled over the side of Yuzu's face and she said, "Okay. If the school council president says I should stay home, who am I to say no? I'm going to stay in bed and watch anime all day."

Rolling her eyes, she gently pulled her hand away from Yuzu's shoulder to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "All right, do that, just remember that I'll be bringing your missed homework when I come home tonight. I'll get them from Taniguchi-san."

"Ugh, homework," Yuzu groaned, her shoulders slumping dramatically. "But thanks for getting it for me."

"No problem."

"Hey, Mei?" the blonde said hesitantly. "Um, about last night, or I guess early this morning... Sorry about that. I was, uh, _moving_ before I knew I was doing…and then I couldn't really stop once I started, and I thought maybe you were fast asleep anyway and you wouldn't mind, so…"

Mei simply cocked her head and listened as Yuzu apologized, looking everywhere else except at her. _Moving? That's what we're calling you dry humping me, sucking on my neck, groping my boob and then falling back asleep on me after you get off? Okay._

With practiced nonchalance, Mei shrugged and gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "It's fine. I think I woke up for like a second. It didn't bother me."

They stared at each other for a beat before Yuzu narrowed her eyes slightly and nodded.

Mei cleared her throat and said, "I better go. Enjoy spending the day watching cartoons because when I come back I'll have your homework."

Before Mei could turn to go, Yuzu raised up on her knees to bring her head at the same level with hers. There was a second where she seemed to wrestle with her impulse control, before she wrapped her arms around the alpha and buried her face in the crook of her neck.

Mei's eyes fluttered close at the sensation of Yuzu brushing her nose and lips up the column of her neck, inhaling a slow breath, and finally stilling against her scent gland.

With her mouth right against her ear, Yuzu said in a voice like warm honey, "Have a good day, Mei. I'll be waiting right here for you when you come home. I'll keep our bed warm."

Mei nodded and hurriedly turned away towards the door, not wanting the blonde to see the heat she could feel staining her cheeks a deep crimson.

* * *

Packmaster Azuma Tokaku convened her alphas in a gazebo near the outdoor ball courts, far away from the main school building.

The packmaster was silent as she listened to Inukai Isuke's account of the events that transpired the day before. When Isuke finished, Tokaku crossed her arms and looked away towards the basketball court. The pack knew better than to start asking questions or start discussing the matter at hand before their packmaster finished her silent contemplation.

After a couple of minutes, Tokaku looked towards Haruki and Isuke and said tersely, "I've said that we're done engaging Aihara Mei in fights. She isn't interested in challenging our position as alpha pack of the school, and she only retaliates when it concerns Aihara Yuzu. It makes us look _bad_ when we fight with her, like we're a bunch of garden-variety bullies. Why did you provoke her last night?"

Isuke took a deep breath and snapped her spine straight before she replied, "I'm sorry, Alpha. I wasn't out to pick a fight with her. In fact, I don't care about the ice queen. But I was so mad about being cockblocked by that, that— _weirdo_ Shiraho Suzuran and that little shitlord Mizusawa, that I could hardly think straight. I was ready to cut the next person who looked at me wrong. And well, that person happened to be Aihara Mei."

Tokaku hummed and nodded, a sign that she accepted Isuke's apology. Angry enough to want to kill the next moving thing you see? Oh, she's been there. She understood.

"And honestly?" Haruki piped up. "I know she's known to be an Ice Queen and all, but she's kind of a loose cannon when it comes to Aihara Yuzu."

The redhead quirked her lip thoughtfully before continuing, "She acts like she has no emotions most of the time, but if you really pay attention, it's super easy to get a rise out of her if any alpha just as much as _looks_ at the direction of her stepsister. So really, it wasn't even really our fault that we got in a fight with her."

Haruki conveniently left out the fact that Isuke taunted Mei by dangling her stepsister's panties in front of her face, but really, all her observations regarding Mei were correct.

Tokaku replied, "In any case, just stay out of her way and don't antagonize her. We don't want unnecessary conflict. She gave up her claim on the omega, so your problem is not with her. She has no right to challenge your intention to become mated with Aihara Yuzu. But until she agrees to become your omega, don't let Aihara Mei find out what you're doing."

"Understood," Isuke replied for both her and Haruki. "I'm sure she'll hate the idea of her precious stepsister being mated to not just one, but two pack alphas, but once it's done, there's nothing she can do about it."

"Correct," Namatame Chitaru agreed from where she was leaning back against a beam with her arms crossed. "Not even someone like her can challenge a valid mate bond, freely given and consented to."

"So as long as you don't hold her down and give her a mate bite against her will," sneered Takechi Otoya. "You're good."

Haruki whipped around to glare at Otoya. She growled, "Of course we're not going to do it against her will, you fucking ass. Maybe that's how you went about getting your omega, but we're not psychos like you."

Isuke felt a snarl pull at her lips but she schooled it into a tight smile. She placed her hands on Haruki's shoulders to calm her girlfriend and said, "There won't be any forcing Yuzu to be our mate. We just need some more time with her and she'll be begging us to claim her."

"That's enough," Tokaku intoned in a low voice that effectively shut them all up. "Focus. We're not here to gossip and chitchat. The real obstacle for Isuke and Haruki's claim for Aihara Yuzu is Shiraho Suzuran."

The packmaster looked at Haruki and Isuke with an expression of approval. "I appreciate your restraint with her yesterday. It was definitely the prudent move, and I know you were thinking about the pack when you held back. Crossing the Shiraho clan isn't something anyone should consider lightly."

"This is true. I'm quite familiar with that clan's assets," chimed Hanabusa Sumireko. Like Suzuran, she was an heiress to one of the richest and most powerful families in the country. If anyone could stand toe to toe with Suzuran in terms of influence and status, it would be Sumireko.

Sumireko's innocent face sliced into a grin. "But the Hanabusa corporation is by far, a lot more powerful. And honestly, it would be amusing to see Shiraho-san try and play the rich and powerful card when it comes down to the brass tacks."

Malice glittered in her ice blue eyes when she continued, "So I'm absolutely willing to put up my family's name against a certain Shiraho Suzuran in this challenge."

Tokaku regarded her with a sharp glare. "Noted, Sumireko. But I'm not going to allow you, or any other member of this pack, to throw our weight around and compromise our resources unless absolutely necessary. And it's not necessary to flex on Shiraho Suzuran. Not yet."

"And what about Mizusawa? I want to ruin her," grumbled Isuke. "This is her doing after all. How she recruited Shiraho into her corner is beyond me."

"Leave her for now. Yuzu will obviously not be happy if you break her friends," Tokaku directed. She continued, "You're going to do the same thing with Shiraho as you're doing with Aihara Mei. You keep it on the down low; don't let her, or anyone else in their little circle catch on that you're making a serious play for Yuzu. If she becomes your mate, there's nothing she can do."

"Oh, it's not a matter of _if_ she becomes our mate," Isuke said, a cocksure smile pulling on her lips. "But a matter of _when_."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

What y'all think, my dudes?

Maybe some of you noticed that I was going hard on the winter/snow imagery. Well, here in the American Midwest where I live, we're experiencing a polar vortex. I look outside, there's 2 feet of snow piled on my driveway, schools were closed for like 3 days because of subzero temps, you walk outside for a few minutes and it hurts to breathe. Snow, ice, freezing temps all around! It reached -17 Fahrenheit here last week. It was very cold.


	14. Circling Wolves

Harumi was putting away her notebook in her desk drawer when Mei walked up to her.

"Taniguchi-san, I'm here to collect the homework that Yuzu missed when she was in the nurse's office yesterday."

"Ah yes, I have it right here," Harumi replied, reaching into her bag and pulling out a sheaf of papers. She handed it to the student council president. She pointed to the paper on top and said, "These problem sets were supposed to be handed in today."

"Thank you," Mei said with a nod. She tucked the papers behind the ones she had on the clipboard she was carrying. "She should be able to get an extension on it since she's on an excused absence. Is there anything else from today?"

"Yes, there's a worksheet for Chemistry, but it's with Hashiri Nio, because it's a pair work exercise with your lab partner."

Harumi didn't miss the way Mei's eyebrows furrowed when she mentioned the alpha who was Yuzu's lab partner. A second later the expression disappeared from Mei's face, but the sudden spike of bitter pheromones, the scent of an agitated alpha, lingered in the air.

"I see," Mei said evenly. "Thank you again, Taniguchi-san."

"Anytime."

Harumi watched Mei walk out of the classroom, and her mouth twisted in a wry smile. Being a beta, her sense of smell wasn't as acute as alphas or omegas, but even _she_ could smell Yuzu's scent all over her stepsister – the moment Mei came close enough.

And she'd known Yuzu long enough to pick out the subtle notes of the scent she left on Mei: affection, flirtatiousness, happiness. And buried even deeper: desire. Passion, achieved.

 _Oh Yuzucchi. What are you playing at?_

Shaking her head, Harumi pulled out her lunch box from her bag. Per usual, she packed food for two. A certain alpha in her life would subsist solely on soda and candy if she didn't literally feed her like a baby bird.

 _Fuck. Hopefully Matsuri won't run into Mei today._

She mentally ran through the route that Mei would take to get to the Student Council Office, where the girl always took her lunch break. Confirming that Matsuri would have no reason to be walking anywhere along that route between now and the end of the school day, Harumi sighed in relief.

She did not want to be around when Matsuri finds out that Mei came back. Let Yuzu tell her. She wasn't going to get in the middle of their alpha/omega drama.

 _Ain't nobody got time for all of that._

x

* * *

Mei finally caught up to Hashiri Nio at the shoe locker area. Truth be told, she had been procrastinating the task. She had never liked the alpha. Nio had never crossed her, per se, but she simply didn't trust the girl. She reminded Mei of a dangerous snake; full of secrets and information that she kept until she found an opportune time to strike with.

It was a couple of hours after classes had ended for the day, and the locker area was almost deserted.

Nio was leaning against the lockers for balance with one hand as she slipped on her shoe with the other hand. She put her shod foot down the moment Mei stopped in front of her.

"Hashiri-san, I'm collecting Aihara Yuzu's homework because she's absent today. I understand that you have her chemistry worksheet. I'll take it now, please."

Nio arched an eyebrow and the barest hint of a smirk pulled on her mouth.

Mei felt her irritation rise just by looking at the alpha's fucking face, but she kept it behind her normal impassive mask.

The shorter girl rifled through her bag. Before she pulled out the papers, she asked in a voice filled with fake curiosity, "Why was Aihara-san absent today? Is she all right?"

A dangerous growl almost tore itself from Mei's throat, but she was able to reign it in. _Why do you want to know where she is? What do you want from her? Mind your own fucking business and leave my stepsister alone._

But Mei knew that the whole school already knew about Yuzu going into heat yesterday _. She's fucking with me._

"She went into an abnormal heat yesterday," Mei replied in a tight voice, like fingers closing around a neck. "Omegas in heat are required to stay home."

"Oh did she?" Nio raised her eyebrows in mock surprise. She handed Mei the papers, which the brunette snatched from her hand.

"Poor Yuzu-chan. I hear going into heat out of cycle is a _bitch._ But I suppose you helped your poor stepsister in every way you could." A real smirk appeared on the alpha's mouth as she made a show of sniffing the air. "Isn't that right, president?"

Mei's cheek twitched infinitesimally, but that was the only outwardly visible sign that she was holding herself back from bitch-slapping this insolent ho.

 _Don't. React. She's baiting you. Just walk away, this little punk ass is beneath you._

"Yuzu in heat is none of your concern," she responded coolly. "How an omega deals with her heat is her own business. I'd like you to remember that."

Nio gave a short bark of laughter. She snarked, "Well if what happened yesterday was any indication, it seems that Yuzu-chan simply gets to pick whichever alpha, or _alphas_ , she wants to deal with her heat."

Mei was suddenly hit with an image of Yuzu in the arms of _another_ – simply _any_ other human being that wasn't her. Haruki, Isuke, Matsuri, Nio, and all the other alphas in the school flashed in her mind in a blur, and they all had Yuzu in their arms.

Jealousy shot through synapses and neurons. Adrenaline lined with rage flooded her veins, and something snapped.

 **KABE – DON!**

 **. . .**

The kabe-don that Mei delivered was not the sexy, thrilling kind that appears in the kind of shōjo-ai manga that Yuzu loves. There was no simmering sexual undertone. This was pure, unadulterated aggression, because Mei felt like she was going to _cut a bitch._

Nio flinched from the impact of Mei's hand hitting the locker door beside her head. She didn't need to turn her head to know that the wood had splintered from the blow.

She slowly opened her eyes to meet Mei's, forcing away any hint of aggression in her body language lest she provoke the alpha to crack her head open like she did with the locker door. She meekly stared into amethyst geodes— a dark, glittering night sky; a deadly cavern of sharp jagged crystals.

"Listen." Mei's voice was like ice water pouring into Nio's veins. "Any alpha who wants to help Aihara Yuzu with _anything_ , anything at all, will answer to me first. And you're free to spread that little threat around the whole school."

* * *

Standing behind a row of lockers on the far side of the room, Haruki watched Mei slowly draw back from Hashiri Nio and then walk away. The alpha was left sagging against the wall, looking like she was going to piss herself.

With a smirk, she said to Isuke, "What I tell you. When it comes to Yuzu, Aihara Mei becomes a loose cannon. She just _punched a wall."_

"She gets downright savage," Isuke agreed. She crossed her arms across her chest and leaned one hip against a locker. "Imagine how she'll react when Yuzu becomes our mate."

"She'll lose her goddamn mind."

"I imagine so."

* * *

With her back straight and expression neutral, Mei walked out of the locker room area clutching Yuzu's homework papers. Nio's insolent little comment caused the faces of the nineteen alphas in Aihara Academy to run on a loop in her head.

Thoughts of someone else touching Yuzu's skin, their hands roaming her body, mouth against her neck, fingers threading through her golden hair— Mei's stomach felt like it would rip itself apart.

 _How many of them want her? What do they want to do with her?_

 _No one can have her. She's mine. She's mine, and mine alone._

Mei's chaotic, anxiety-filled thoughts were interrupted by an omega walking up behind her.

"President," Himeko's voice stopped her in her tracks.

With a sigh, Mei turned around to face her oldest friend. She was met with the omega's deeply troubled expression.

Himeko didn't bother with any preamble. "This has to stop," she hissed. "I know you're dealing with some things, but seriously, you need to get a grip."

"She was taunting me. She said—"

"So you threaten her with bodily harm?! By damaging school property?" Himeko shrilled, making Mei wince. "President, you are acting completely irrationally."

The alarm and honesty in Himeko's voice caught Mei off guard. "I'm just making sure they stay away from her. She needs protection," she demurred in a quiet voice.

The omega made a bold move by wrapping her hand around Mei's forearm. Himeko's grip communicated that she was indeed, truly disturbed at how Mei had been acting lately.

"You're not thinking right," Himeko insisted, the hard look in her eyes piercing through the haze of Mei's anger, letting her words sink in. "Mei-mei, you know that Aihara Yuzu isn't my favorite person. But I swear to you, this isn't about her."

Mei pulled her arm free, anxiety unfurling in her chest. Himeko's words swirled in the bottom of her skull, circling around her other chaotic thoughts. _Fuck. She's right. I'm totally losing it. I have made so, so many bad decisions when it comes to Yuzu. What am I doing?_

"You're making a mess not just for yourself, but for her too," Himeko said in a pained whisper. "There is no future for the two of you, and you have to truly accept that. I don't know what it's going to take, but for both your sakes… you have to let her go."

* * *

When Mei arrived at home, Yuzu was curled up on the living room sofa watching TV. She instantly felt drawn to sit beside her, craving her closeness after being separated for the whole school day. She also really wanted to see her smile, even for just one fleeting moment.

She hesitated in the hallway, Himeko's warning ringing in her ears. Her words from earlier had taken a foothold in her mind. She couldn't let her chaotic emotions, or her alpha nature, make a mess of everything again. She had to wrangle all these inappropriate emotions – jealousy, possessiveness, her stupid, hopeless feelings for Yuzu – under some semblance of control. She _had_ to.

Not making a sound, Mei walked towards their bedroom, determined to stay in the room and do schoolwork for most of the night.

 _I can do this. I just need to set some boundaries. For myself, mostly. I need to limit how much interaction we have._

"Mei? You're home?"

With her hand on their room's doorknob, the one that she had attempted to turn very quietly, Mei responded, "Y-yes, Yuzu. I just wanted to put my things away."

"All right. Then come out here, okay?"

Mei paused at the doorway, her iron will and determination warring with the pull of Yuzu's presence in the living room.

She went inside the room, placed her bag on her desk and quickly went to her stepsister. She might as well have tried to keep the waves from the shore.

Mei sat on the opposite end of the sofa, and the two girls caught up with each other's day. Yuzu slept in bed most of the morning, woke up a little after noon, did a few loads of laundry, and had been watching TV ever since.

"We should get started on homework now, Yuzu," Mei said after they had been chatting for ten minutes.

Yuzu slouched down on the cushion and splayed her arms to her sides. "Aww, c'mon Mei. I need another hour to uh, unwind."

"You literally laid around all day. And you have two days worth of homework to do."

"I need to finish this episode!" the blonde exclaimed. She grabbed the remote and pulled up the YouTube app on the TV. "Yang and Blake are in the middle of this epic battle with Adam!"

Mei rolled her eyes, but it was softened by the small grin on her lips. "Why can't you continue watching it tomorrow? I'm sure you've been watching that show all day."

Mei's shoulders twitched in surprise when she felt, then saw, Yuzu crawling towards her across the couch. Yuzu pressed against her side and laid her head on her shoulder.

"Shhhh…" said Yuzu as she pressed the play button on the remote. As the video started, she sank deeper against Mei, letting her head settle on the alpha's chest and laying her arm across her stomach.

If Yuzu noticed that Mei was sitting stiff as a board, she didn't mention it.

This was the first time they were doing something like this, actually cuddled up on the couch watching TV. Guilt nagged at Mei as she recalled Himeko's words. She was supposed to be working on letting Yuzu go, not _cuddling_ with her.

Yuzu sat up and reached for a throw blanket and covered them with it. Wiggling under the cover, she resumed her position snuggled up on Mei, but this time even _closer._

Several minutes passed and Mei finally relaxed her tense muscles, after deciding that she was just going to sit here until the end of this episode _. It's fine. We're just watching TV. We're just hanging out. No big deal._

* * *

The living room was dark except for the light of the TV, which was now showing the third episode of the live-action adaptation of _Futari Monologue_. Mei didn't think the show was very interesting, but it was whatever. The way Yuzu was curled up against her front and playing with her hand was really nice, though.

Yuzu's eyes were turned to the TV but she had Mei's hand in both of her hers, gently stroking each finger, caressing the back of her hand with feather light-touches, rubbing circles on her her palm with her thumb. One time she pressed a kiss on the tip of each of her fingers. It raised a tingle in her spine before spreading out in a prickly heat towards her pelvis and unfurling in her stomach.

Seriously, though, it's not even like anyone can blame her spending a couple of hours snuggling with her stepsister. Lying side by side with Yuzu under a soft blanket felt _wonderful_. The scent of spring rain and jasmine enveloped Mei, and she felt she was wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, of contentment, of Yuzu.

Yuzu took Mei's arm and cradled it across the front of her chest.

The alpha responded by hugging the blonde close to her body. She felt a pang in her chest at the fact that she could do this. Just a few days ago, she was in her father's house feeling like the saddest, loneliest bitch in the world. Now, she was right where she wanted to be. _It's almost too good to be true._

"Do you like this show, Mei?" Yuzu asked, turning her face towards her. "We can watch something else if you want."

Their faces were so close that Mei could have bumped Yuzu's nose with her own if she leaned another inch. Her gaze dropped to the blonde's lips, and in her mind she closed the distance between them and she parted Yuzu's mouth with her tongue.

"No, we can keep watching this," Mei replied, her eyes flicking up to meet Yuzu's emerald gaze. "The gyaru reminds me of you. Except you're much prettier."

Yuzu grinned, rendered momentarily speechless at how smoothly Mei dropped the line like it was nothing.

* * *

The following day, Yuzu was back at school, looking none the worse for wear.

Harumi thought that the blonde was looking pretty darn good, considering all the shit that went down a few days before. Actually, Yuzu seemed to be doing better today than she had been ever since the whole unbonding incident. She was smiling and cheerful when she arrived at school that morning, even though she apparently had to stay up really late doing her homework. Because she spent too much time watching TV or something.

But it didn't take long for the drama to start. When Matsuri rocked up to them and smelled Mei on Yuzu, she proceeded to rip the blonde a new one.

Harumi quickly shoved her shoes into her locker and then waved a hasty goodbye to the squabbling alpha and omega, saying that she needed to stop at the library before class.

At least they had stopped fighting by the time lunch rolled around. They were sitting in their usual picnic table, with Yuzu chatting amiably, Nene hanging on to her every word, Suzuran listening politely, and Matsuri just silently fuming. After swallowing an onigiri from Harumi's bento, Matsuri got up from the table and stalked off.

Yuzu immediately looked at Harumi, worry and hurt in her face.

"Just let her go, she'll calm down after a couple of days," Harumi reassured her quietly, loud enough for just the blonde to hear.

Looking down at her food, Yuzu nodded.

* * *

Matsuri was mad about the whole situation about Aihara Mei, sure. The top alpha had caused nothing but grief and agitation for Yuzu since the day they became stepsisters. She knew that nothing good will come out of Mei coming back home. If anything, it'll just cause even more problems. Matsuri was sure of it.

Although it wasn't fair for her to be taking it out on Yuzu. It's not like it was the omega's fault that Mei decided she wanted to move back to their home.

Matsuri was musing over these thoughts when she spotted Sagae Haruki and Inukai Isuke standing at the end of the hallway. _Fucking great. I should really start carrying around a cattle prod so I can Taser these bitches when I see them._

Isuke was the first to address her when she drew closer to the pair. "Good morning, Mizusawa-san. You look like you've got a stick up your ass today. Could it be because your precious Yuzu ended up with yet another alpha last night?"

Matsuri responded by flipping her off and saying, "Bounce on it."

Isuke raised an eyebrow and stared at Matsuri's angry middle finger. "Maybe if you throw in a couple more I'll consider it."

Matsuri scowled and walked away. She was utterly done fucking around with these two idiots.

"Oh, and she likes having her hair pulled!" Haruki called after her, laughing.

* * *

The girls had finished eating their lunch, but Matsuri didn't come back to the picnic table. The bell for the first afternoon class was going to ring in ten minutes, so the girls started packing up their lunch containers.

Harumi was the last one still sitting at the picnic, typing a bow on the cloth around her lunch box, when she heard Suzuran's quiet voice behind her.

"Yuzupon, about the favor that I asked from you the other day?"

"Ah, yes. What about it?" Yuzu asked.

"Can you come for dinner tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night…hmmm," Yuzu paused. "I don't have any plans. Okay. I can come to your house. Should be fun."

"Excellent. I'll have the car pick you up at seven pm. Is that all right?" asked Suzuran.

"Yeah, seven pm is good. I'll be ready."

"Thank you, Yuzupon. I'm looking forward to our evening. It's been a long time since we've spent time together."

"I know!" Yuzu said eagerly. She bumped shoulders against the taller alpha affectionately.

Harumin chewed on her lip as she followed Yuzu, Suzuran, and Nene walk to the classroom wing of the building. Why was Yuzu going to Suzuran's house for dinner? Sure, they became really good friends when they had to spend a summer taking supplementary classes together.

Was it just a completely friendly dinner?

But why didn't Matsuri know about this? Because if she knew, then Harumin would certainly have heard all about it. Matsuri becomes all territorial when any alpha gets close to Yuzu. She would have interrogated Yuzu about Suzuran already. If she knew. Which means she didn't.

 _After Yuzu became an omega, things just got so complicated! It's like every alpha is suspect._

Harumi closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Decisions, decisions.

Of course she wouldn't tell Matsuri, even though she felt awfully guilty. She was always loyal to Yuzu first. And besides, she wasn't entirely sure if Yuzu was doing anything "wrong."

Harumi sighed, thinking about how Matsuri went to great lengths to prevent a situation where Yuzu would be compromised by alphas with ulterior motives.

Matsuri was the protective mama bear towards the omega, but it looked like there may be a wolf in the den already.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Thank you guys for leaving a comment/review! It really helps to know what you think about the story so far. As usual, let me know your thoughts!


	15. Cognitive Dissonance

Mei walked through the main entrance of their apartment building, trying to remember what the plan for tonight's dinner was. She couldn't remember if she was supposed to pick up some ingredients for their meal. This morning she only glanced at the little white erase board on their refrigerator, the one that listed their meal plans for three days at a time, instantly forgetting the information because she was in such a rush.

As usual she had to stay after class to do school council work for several hours. She hoped it wasn't too late to help Yuzu with dinner if she needed it.

She was halfway across the lobby when an elevator opened and Yuzu stepped out. The blonde had already changed from her uniform and was wearing a knee-length skirt and a cardigan over a tank top.

Mei quickened her pace and intercepted the blonde. "I'm sorry I forgot about the ingredients for tonight's dinner." She laid her hand on Yuzu's forearm and continued, "Go back upstairs. I'll go to the grocery store. What do we need?"

Yuzu's eyes went wide in surprise at Mei's question. "Uh, what?"

"I forgot that I was supposed to go to the store for," Mei said patiently. "I didn't really pay attention to the list this morning. Sorry."

Yuzu curled her fingers on the fabric of her shirt, her eyes shifting to the side. She took a deep breath and turned back to her stepsister. "Mei, you're on your own for dinner tonight. That's what the note said. I'm going to Suzuran's house for dinner."

"What?" Mei asked in a voice as soft as thunder.

Yuzu swallowed against a lump in her throat. "Shiraho Suzuran. She invited me to her house for dinner."

"I know who she is," Mei snapped.

The familiar black, suffocating jealousy gripped Mei, and she felt helpless as it ripped through her like a tightening coil.

She struggled to neutralize the emotions. Remembering Himeko's rebuke helped.

Much gentler, she continued, "Why? Why are you going to her house?"

"Because…. she invited me. Because she's my friend." Yuzu bit her lip, knowing she sounded like a dummy. Well, she couldn't very well say, _because she asked me to pose as a potential mate to appease her overbearing, ultra-traditional family_ , now could she?

Yuzu watched Mei try to school her features into her usual neutral, aloof expression, but failing. She struggled not to mirror the chaotic emotions that were that were simply rolling off of Mei. The alpha was projecting some serious distress signals, and Yuzu could feel it acutely. It was very clear to Yuzu that Mei hated the idea of her going to Shirapon's house.

"Yuzu…" Mei's voice was rough, scraping over Yuzu's senses. Her tone danced at the edge of anger and a plea.

Then something shifted, and ice creeped into Mei's voice. "Don't stay out too late." With that, she spun around and walked towards the elevators. She jabbed the button and kept her back turned from her stepsister.

Sighing, Yuzu walked towards the entrance where she could see the black Rolls Royce through the revolving doors.

The elevator dinged, and before Mei stepped through the doors that slid open, she flicked her gaze towards the entrance. She caught the flash of Yuzu's blond hair before the uniformed driver closed the car door. She tasted bile rising in her throat. She knew at that moment that she wasn't going to bother making dinner.

* * *

It was after dinner in the Shiraho estate when Yuzu stealthily whispered, "So...do you think it worked?"

Suzuran slowly lowered her cup before flicking her eyes towards Yuzu. She tilted her head and grinned wordlessly. The alpha nodded, and Yuzu giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.

Yuzu and Suzuran were seated at a chabudai, the dinner dishes cleared almost half an hour ago by a maid. Suzuran was having tea and Yuzu was drinking another melon soda.

They were alone in the room, but the thing about being in a traditional Japanese house was that it was pretty easy to tell when there was someone hovering on the other side of a sliding wall panel made of paper. The shadow of several _someones_ could be seen through the shoji on the far side of the room. No doubt members of Suzuran's family trying to listen in on their conversation.

She _hoped_ that Shirapon's family were convinced that the alpha was courting her to be her omega. Doing this favor for Shirapon was super easy. The food at dinner was excellent, she didn't have to wash the dishes after, and she and Shirapon were able to catch up. And heck, she was going to be driven home after this. All in all, it was a great Friday night with her friend.

But the thought of the end of her visit reminded Yuzu of the alpha who would be waiting for her back at home. Her stomach twisted.

The worry must have appeared in her face because Suzuran asked, "Is something wrong, Yuzupon?"

The blonde pressed her lips together and shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing."

Of course, Suzuran could tell that there was in fact, something. Perceptive as she was, she had an inkling as to what might be bothering the omega. She slowly rose from the floor and said, "How about we go out into the garden? There are some flowers that I think you'd like to see."

Yuzu downed the rest of her drink and stood up from the cushion she had been sitting on. "Sure, let's go."

The human-shaped shadows on the shoji disappeared as soon as the blonde stated their intention of leaving the room. They stepped out into the outer corridor of the house, and they saw Suzuran's aunt and "brothers" standing in front of the sliding doors of the next room, trying to look inconspicuous.

The beautifully landscaped tea garden sat in the middle of the enormous Shiraho complex. It was bordered on four sides by the wrap-around veranda of the traditional house in the shape of a square. The garden was lit by a few pagoda lanterns and the muted light though the paper wall panels of the house. A full moon hung in the sky, casting all the sand and concrete surfaces in silver.

Suzuran led Yuzu to the center of the garden, the farthest point from the sides of the house. She sat on a stone bench and beckoned for Yuzu to sit beside her.

"They won't hear us here," the alpha said with an apologetic smile. "So tell me what's bothering you."

Yuzu knew it was useless to deny anything when she was dealing with Suzuran. She sighed and remarked, "It's Mei. Uh, she gets a little…. testy when I spend time with other alphas." Realizing what she was saying, she says hurriedly, "I mean obviously there's no good reason why she should be worried, or mad, that I'm here with you tonight. You're great."

Suzuran fixed her with a thoughtful look before adding quietly, "But of course, it's compounded by the fact that Aihara Mei doesn't have a right to be angry with how spend your time. Or with whom."

Yuzu flinched at what Suzuran didn't say and laughed dryly. "Yeah, because she's not my mate. She broke our bond. So she can't say jack shit about whatever the hell I do."

Suzuran flinched at Yuzu's tone."I apologize. I didn't mean to upset you. It was inconsiderate of me to bring it up," the alpha said, turning away from Yuzu to look at the raked gravel in front of them, a ripple pattern fanning out from where they sat.

"No, you're fine," Yuzu grumbled. "It's stupid to act like I didn't get rejected in the most spectacular fashion. Everyone knows about it."

Both girls were quiet for a while, simply staring at the crushed gravel in front of them. Then Suzuran placed her hand gently on top of Yuzu's, the inside of her wrist brushing against the blonde's skin.

"Just so you know, I don't understand how Aihara Mei could have unbonded from you," she said softly. "If I had been your mate, nothing could have convinced me to break a bond with you."

"Uh, thanks," Yuzu mumbled, looking down at her lap. Deciding she didn't have anything to lose by confessing to a trusted friend, she continued. "I don't know what I'm doing half the time, Shirapon. I mean on one hand I'm still incredibly mad and hurt about what Mei did to me. Because it was a totally dick move, you know? She gave me a mate bite because apparently she lost control, and then decided it was a huge mistake so we needed to unbond. Without even consulting me, you know? It was so messed up."

Shirapon nodded, giving the omega's hand a squeeze. "Yes, it was. She made a mistake, but what she did next was dishonorable. She should have faced up to her mistake and upheld your bond, whether she meant to give you a mate bite or not."

Yuzu's face drew into thoughtful frown. She countered, "Okay, I don't know if I would go that far— you make it sound like she should have accepted a shotgun bonding! But the point is, I'm still resent that she broke our bond. But now she's back home, and it's just making me confused."

"How so?" Suzuran prompted. She already knew the answers, as Yuzu was one of the most transparent people she had ever met, and she didn't even have to try hard to deduce what was going on with her.

"Well, she acts all protective and stuff when it comes to other alphas. You know, typical mate behavior," Yuzu said, the frown still on her face. "But besides that, I know she's trying really hard for us to get along better. She's nicer, more considerate. She tries to not be so snappish at me. She even reigns in her temper. She watched TV shows with me even though I know she doesn't like them."

"She's acting like the mate you wish you had," Suzuran supplied helpfully.

"Yeah." Yuzu agreed. "That's the stupid part. Because obviously we _aren't_ mated, _can't_ be mated, will never be mated. But now I kinda see how it could be if we were."

Yuzu dragged her free hand down her face and groaned. "Ugh, the irony. It's like whoever is writing the script for my life has a sick sense of humor."

With one hand still on top of Yuzu's, Suzuran placed her other hand on the omega's opposite shoulder. Her gaze flicked to the figures bathed in shadow standing on the veranda of the house. The alpha could see in her mind's eye what she and Yuzu looked like, sitting in the middle of the garden, under the moonlight. A small smile tugged on the corner of her mouth.

"It's unlikely that Aihara Mei is acting like a mate to you out of malice, or a desire to torment you. She's probably doing it out of instinct. It's hard to eschew the biological drives of our designations, especially in close relationships," Suzuran said quietly. "It's definitely not an ideal situation that you live together."

Yuzu pressed her lips together. She wasn't going to add the little detail that she and Mei also slept in the same bed. Only Harumi and Matsuri were privy to that incriminating piece of information about the Aihara stepsisters.

Suzuran tore her eyes away from the veranda and turned to look at Yuzu. "I'm afraid it's not going to get easier, Yuzupon, these confusing feelings you have for Aihara Mei. As long as you're an unmated omega, she will be drawn to you as a potential mate, and will act accordingly. There's no escaping it."

The alpha carefully watched Yuzu, her face half in shadow, the other half showing a deeply troubled expression. The omega was chewing on her lip, worry lines deep on her forehead.

Suzuran waited for the right time to say, "Unless of course, you become someone's mate. Your new mate bond will dispel all the uncomfortable tension between you and Aihara Mei."

"You think so?" Yuzu squeaked. "Is that really a good idea? Doesn't that just seem like jumping from the frying pan into the fire? Should I really get into a mate bond to deal with my failed one with Mei?"

"Yuzupon, I know it sounds like I'm suggesting a band aid solution to your…mess of a problem. But a real mate bond, one that is built on mutual love, respect and trust, is one of the strongest forces in this world. Your alpha mate will love you, cherish you, support you, protect you. With your mate by your side, you can overcome any problem that comes your way. They will be your rock."

Yuzu swallowed. That sounded really, really good. She had been feeling adrift for so long. It all started when she presented as an omega and this whole identity along with the urges that came with. Then the whole fiasco with Mei. And Mei's return. She felt unmoored, like she was in the middle of the ocean tossed around in a storm of overwhelming emotions. That's exactly what she needed – a rock. Something to ground her. Safe harbor.

"You're right, Shirapon. I need a mate."

* * *

"You really didn't have to walk me up to my apartment," Yuzu said to Suzuran as she slid her house key into the lock of the front door. "I mean, you already brought me home in your car… but thanks!"

"It's my pleasure." Suzuran added in a teasing voice, "Door-to-door service. I wanted to make sure your evening with me was pleasant until the very last moment."

Yuzu entered the apartment and held the door open for Suzuran, who was carrying a bouquet of giant chrysanthemums picked from the garden in the Shiraho estate. "Well, mission accomplished. I had a great time."

The two girls shuffled off their shoes and placed them on the mat in the entrance hallway of the apartment.

Yuzu glanced at the bundle clutched in Suzuran's hands. "Let's put those gorgeous flowers in some water."

The tall alpha followed Yuzu into the kitchen, inconspicuously looking around the apartment. This was her first time in Yuzu's home, and she honestly couldn't remember the last time she visited a friend in their place.

Yuzu opened a cabinet above the stove, revealing an assortment of glass containers. She stood up on tiptoe trying to reach a vase in the back of the cabinet.

Suzuran, being a full head taller, came up behind Yuzu and placed her left hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"Here, let me." Suzuran reached into the cabinet with her right hand, trying to follow the trajectory of Yuzu's aim. The intended vase was all the way in the back.

Suzuran was pulling out the purple, rectangular-shaped vase from the cabinet and was about to hand it to Yuzu when both girls froze.

They had suddenly caught Mei's alpha scent, thick in the air. It was the scent of a fiercely dominant alpha who was facing a sexual rival. It was the arctic wolf stalking the tundra, fangs bared, willing to tear someone's throat for crossing into their territory.

Suzuran was the first to slowly turn around, vase still clutched in her hand. Yuzu followed a beat later, eyes wide and panicked.

Mei was standing on the other side of the kitchen island, her fists clenched, jaw clenched, nostrils flared, pupils almost completely dilated. Her scent continued to grease the room in the oppressive stench of an alpha displaying hostility and possessiveness.

Yuzu fought a whimper that wanted to rise from her throat. Being an omega, it was impossible not to be affected by this level of alpha pheromones. Her first instinct was to tuck and hide, which she was able to resist only by the barest of margins.

Suzuran, however, wasn't cowed by Mei's aggression. She simply stepped away from from Yuzu and placed the vase on the counter by the bundle of flowers.

Suzuran bowed to Mei. "Good evening, Aihara-san. I hope I'm not intruding in your home. I escorted Yuzu-chan from a visit at my house, and I was carrying these flowers for her. We were looking for a vase to put them in water."

Mei leveled Suzuran with a hostile glare that would have reduced a lesser alpha to quiver with fear, or want to piss their pants, at the very least. But Suzuran didn't so much as flinch, and simply returned the stare, completely unruffled.

Mei's voice was quiet and controlled when she finally spoke, like a bullet sliding into the chamber. "Thank you for escorting my sister home, Shiraho-san."

Her voice dropped to a menacing contralto when she added, "But it's rather late, so it's best if you leave now. I'm sure your family would want you come home, given the hour."

"Yes, of course. I was just about to leave." Suzuran turned to Yuzu. "Thank you again for your visit, Yuzupon." She gave a nod to Mei. "I'll show myself out. Goodnight."

Yuzu stood frozen like a deer in headlights for a few moments as Suzuran left the kitchen. Then she snapped herself out it, and ran after the departing girl.

"Oh my god, I am so, so sorry about that," Yuzu whispered fiercely. Embarrassment flushed hot on Yuzu's face, making her stomach roil.

The tall alpha slipped on her shoes and gave Yuzu a gentle smile. Her expression now was just as placid as when Mei was giving her the alpha death glare. "You have nothing to be sorry about, Yuzupon."

Yuzu made a distressed sound in the back of her throat, and Suzuran was about to lay her hand on her arm but then drew it back at the last minute. Instead she just laughed lightly, hoping to assuage the omega's anxious expression.

"No worries. Really. This is literally Aihara Mei's home— I'm on her territory. It's understandable that she would react like that."

"I just…that was rude." Yuzu sighed deeply as Suzuran stepped out the front door into the hallway. "This is becoming a real problem."

The alpha's parting words were, "I hope you seriously consider my offer, Yuzupon. Goodnight."

Yuzu nodded to Suzuran before the door closed. Standing alone in the entryway, she threw back her shoulders and curled her hands into fists. She was going to give her stepsister a piece of her mind. Mei had no right to do what she just did. And to dear, sweet Shirapon of all people!

Mei was just going to have to _sack up_ and reign in her alpha impulses. She couldn't be snapping at every alpha who came near her.

If she wanted to do the overprotective alpha routine, then maybe she shouldn't have broken their mate bond, right? _Right._

Anger unfurled in her stomach, pooling in the pit of her belly. She was going to tell Mei to knock it off.

Yuzu found her stepsister sitting on the sofa the living room. Taking a fortifying breath, she marched up to Mei and placed both hands on her hips.

"That was uncalled for, Mei. Suzuran is my friend, and I invited her into the house. You can't chase away my friends. Who gave you that right?" she fumed.

Mei raised her head to meet her gaze, and Yuzu was taken aback by the stricken expression on the alpha's face. Her lips were pressed into a thin line and a red flush was painted across her cheek and neck. For a second she looked like she was going to let loose a string of curses, harsh, ugly words pouring from her mouth. Ready to cut like knives.

But Mei set her jaw and a steely look glinted in her eyes. "Your 'friend' shouldn't be hanging out here at this hour. It's an imposition to be at someone's house this late."

"It's a…" Yuzu said incredulously. " _What_? Don't be ridiculous, Mei. We're not children. We can stay out as late as we want! And besides, it's a Friday."

Anger flashed in Mei's eyes and she drew herself up, her chest puffing up with authority. "No, you cannot. You cannot stay out as late as you want. You're an omega and you come home at a respectable hour and not go out running around with alphas!"

Mei's outburst made Yuzu's eyebrows shoot up to her hairline. Under normal circumstances, such a direct, loaded statement from an alpha would have a devastating effect on an omega. Under normal circumstances, Yuzu would have been reduced to a trembling mess from Mei's heated words.

But because she was amped up on her own frustration and embarrassment, Yuzu simply returned the verbal volley, matching Mei's volume. "I will run around with any alpha that I want! At any hour! Don't you even think about telling me what to do."

Yuzu was positively seething. "You are _not_ my alpha. You saw to that yourself!"

All the air was sucked from the room the same instant that Mei's breath hitched in her throat. Mei's throat bobbed as she swallowed around a dry throat. The light in her eyes dimmed, the raging fire snuffed out.

Yuzu's stomach twisted, and she desperately wished she could take back those words. Even if they were true. It stung badly, said out loud. She used it to lash out at Mei, but it hurt her just as much.

"Fine. Then go get with all the alphas that you want. I won't stand in your way," Mei collapsed back against the sofa. "I don't care."

This time, Mei's words shot straight to her heart, causing a burning, hollow feeling to spread in her chest cavity.

 _Ugh, seriously. I should make up my mind!_

Yuzu paused to allow all the _shoulds_ wash over her. She _should_ stand her ground with Mei. She _should_ tell her that something needed to change with their dynamic, now that they were back to living together. She _should_ tell her that she was considering Shirapon's offer of being her mate.

But her instinct to soothe the alpha, to comfort her when she was clearly distressed, was much stronger than the _shoulds._

What she _shouldn't_ do was throw one leg over Mei and sit sideways on her lap.

"What are you doing," Mei mumbled, half-heartedly trying to sound angry. Yuzu's weight on her lap felt like a balm to her soul, and she could hardly muster the wherewithal to pretend she didn't want this.

Yuzu pressed her palm against Mei's cheek, and the alpha leaned into the touch despite herself. She leaned in to whisper in Mei's ear, "What I always want to do when you're near. To be right beside you."

An indignant _hmphf_ sounded from Mei's throat. "I don't know; I think you'd rather be with anyone else but me."

The petulance in the alpha's tone caused a smile to pull on one side of Yuzu's lips. Who would have believed that the great Aihara Mei could pout?

"That's where you're wrong, Mei. I can't get enough of you."

Yuzu leaned forward and kissed her clavicle, at the base of her neck. Yuzu tugged at the neckline of Mei's shirt to expose more skin for her lips. She traced the alpha's collarbone with her mouth, and when she got to the end, sucked hard on the skin. A twinge of pleasure sparked up her spine when she heard Mei gasp in pleasure. After sucking hard enough to make a mark, she soothed the red patch skin with a lathe of her tongue.

Mei's arms circled around her waist to pull her closer, and Yuzu curled up in the alpha's lap, drawing in her knees. It her feel like she was in a nice, warm nest. A nest for an omega. A nest with her alpha.

She trailed wet lips up the column of Mei's neck, tasting the tender skin before moving to the next inch of pale flesh.

Yuzu caught the shift in Mei's scent. The sharpness had dissipated, the threat from an ice storm melting away. Her heart swelled. She was able to soothe her alpha. She felt the satisfaction in the marrow of her bones.

Mei's hands started to roam her body, and her pheromone-soaked omega brain purred like a kitten being petted.

One hand ran up her back, and the other slipped under her skirt and was stroking the front of her thighs. A certain sense of propriety was the only thing that prevented her from letting her thighs fall open and taking her stepsister's hand and guiding it to where she needed her. She shouldn't. But fuck, did she want to. The nascent pleasure from the hand stroking her legs set her nerves on fire.

Yuzu's lips reached their destination on the Mei's neck, and she wrapped her lips around the scent gland. Her eyes fluttered close as Mei's flavor blazed across her palate. Her mind swam, overloading from feeding on pheromones straight from the source.

 _Alpha, alpha, alpha._

 _My alpha._

A moan was torn from her throat, and she sucked harder at the skin below the alpha's ear. She drew Mei's concentrated scent into her lungs, scattering through her senses, heat pooling in her core. The scent made her feel safe, protected, desired, at home.

Yuzu released Mei's scent gland from the seal of her lips, and she pressed her face against the alpha's neck, panting softly.

Mei's hand hand crept to the inside of her thigh, Mei's thumb rubbing back and forth on the sensitive skin there, pleasure shooting straight to her core.

She should be thinking about Shirapon's offer. And there was the offer from Haruki and Isuke, as unconventional as it was.

But the other hand was alighting on the back of her head and tangling itself in her blond locks.

 _Really_ , she needed to do anything other than making out with her stepsister. This was only going to make things harder when she has to tell Mei.

Both their heads started to move, Yuzu lifting hers and Mei leaning in, their cheeks brushing against each other. Their lips were moving closer, the pull irresistible. Mei's nose bumped against the side of hers, their mouths so close that they're breathing the same heated air.

There's no way she could stop what they're doing now, so this was just going to have to be the last time.

Mei closed the distance between their lips.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

This is the longest chapter I've written for this story. My average word count per chapter is 3,000 words, so this chapter felt TOO LONG. Was it too long? Tell meee! Or tell me your thoughts about the chapter. Whichever, I'll take it.

Next time: Pink Pocky returns!


	16. Good Girls Go to Heaven,

_Two weeks later_

It was already dark when Mei came home after doing student council work for several hours after school. There was a ton of work to be done for the upcoming culture festival, plus the normal day-to-day business of the council.

Mei tiredly went to the kitchen for her dinner plate, expecting it to be covered with plastic wrap and sitting on the counter. Yuzu and their mother would have eaten their dinner together hours ago.

Sure enough, a plate of curry rice was waiting for her in the kitchen. Not bothering to heat up the dish, she ate it while standing by the counter. After eating just enough to dispel the gnawing hunger in her stomach, she pulled the plastic wrap over the plate and stuck it in the refrigerator.

Mei did her bathroom routine in record time and was sitting at her desk within 20 minutes of walking into the door of their apartment. She was exhausted, but she didn't even pause before opening her textbook.

She had been studying nonstop for three hours when she felt hands on her shoulders.

A small smile lifted her lips at Yuzu's gentle touch.

"Hello, Yuzu," Mei said softly, not turning away from her textbook. She couldn't afford to be distracted. She had hours to go before she was done.

Yuzu gave Mei's shoulders a gentle squeeze. She had been good today. She left Mei alone after she got home from school, like her stepsister had asked her to, so she could study.

But it had been hours, and Yuzu couldn't stand it anymore. She just wanted a _little_ bit of attention from a certain raven-haired student council president.

"Hi, Mei. How's the work going?" Yuzu trailed the tips of her fingers up and down Mei's arms.

Mei's small sigh of pleasure would have been almost too quiet to hear if Yuzu wasn't paying close attention to the seated girl.

"It's going fine. I still have a lot to do before bed," Mei murmured as she felt Yuzu's front press against her back. Yuzu's arms slipped lower over her torso, in what could conceivably be considered a very loose embrace. The blonde's skin brushing over hers felt delicious.

"Can't you take a tiny break? You need to stop once in a while or else you'll strain your eyes," Yuzu coaxed. She lowered herself down towards Mei's seated form just a little more, tightening her arms around her stepsister. The omega also took this opportunity to inhale the alpha's scent.

 _She smells amazing._ Cold mountain air and the cool burn of peppermint. Why did Mei have to smell so damn good to her? No other alpha's scent affected her like this. The scent was like a drug created specifically for her. A drug that was customized to soothe, comfort, and excite her. But also a drug that she was slowly getting addicted to.

Knowing where this was going, Mei groaned, tilting her head back. She really didn't have time for this. Also, her head was now resting on the crook of Yuzu's shoulders. _Ooops._ "I can't take a break Yuzu. You know that." Her voice sounded unconvincing even to herself.

"Oh come on. Just for a little while. Please?" Yuzu purred right beside Mei's ear, before capturing the brunette's earlobe with her mouth.

The gasp that it elicited was so satisfying to the omega. Emboldened, Yuzu worked her way to the shell of Mei's ear, gently nibbling on the cartilage. Yuzu could see the girl's chest rising and falling heavily now. Mei's ears were incredibly sensitive, and Yuzu _tried_ to not to use it against her too much.

But sometimes she just couldn't resist making the alpha melt. In her mouth.

She considered if she should deliver the _coup de_ _grâce_ and breathe into Mei's ear.

"N-no, that's what you always say." Mei's voice hardened, and a look of determination flashed across her face, like she was going to fight this.

That decided it then. Yuzu dragged her tongue on the inside of the shell of Mei's ear, before exhaling slowly into the canal.

Mei's mouth fell open and a moan slipped out when she felt Yuzu's warm breath gently blow into her ear. _Not fair. So not fair._

The arms snaking around her waist weren't playing fair either. Yuzu's arms were now wrapped around her. She should be shrugging off the blonde, telling her firmly not to disturb her while she was trying to study.

She shouldn't let Yuzu get away with this _again._ She was determined not to give in _this time._

And yet…

The back of her head was now resting on Yuzu's shoulder, and she kept leaning back towards the omega, pressing against her chest. _Ugh no, don't get closer, idiot!_

Yuzu parted her lips and released Mei's ear. Her grip tight on Mei's waist, she straightened up and pulled the brunette up from her chair. "Just a few minutes. Ten minutes, I promise."

Mei made a sound of protest, but they both knew it was just a formality. Yuzu always allowed this and never called her stepsister out on it. They were both committed to this charade.

Aihara Mei was an alpha, the undisputed top alpha in Aihara Academy. She was the apex of the school's social pyramid. But right now she was a puppy on a leash, with the way she let Yuzu pull her towards the bed.

"Just 10 minutes. Then I'm going back to studying."

"Of course," Yuzu chirped. "Now sit down on the center of the bed and let me give you a massage!"

 _A massage. Well that sounds lovely. I could use a back rub. A nice, relaxing, completely platonic back rub._

Mei sat cross-legged on the center of the bed and Yuzu positioned herself behind her. Hands alighted on her shoulders and were instantly kneading the muscles there.

"Mmmm yes," Mei exhaled. Yuzu dug her fingers into her tight muscles and it felt wonderful. "That feels so good."

Behind her, Yuzu preened at the praise. Honestly, she would have pretty much done anything to coax the younger girl to take a break and spend some time with her. She had left Mei alone all night, for plenty of reasons, but now she just wanted to be closer.

"I just want to take care of you, Mei," Yuzu cooed as she rubbed small circles along her shoulder blades with her thumbs. It was disgustingly corny to say out loud, but it was true. And Yuzu wished she didn't feel so compelled to take care of the alpha.

Yuzu continued to rub Mei's back and shoulders, unconsciously scooting closer to the younger girl as the massage went on. With each sigh of pleasure drawn out by her hands, Yuzu inched a little closer, until Mei's bottom was slotted right between her open legs.

Mei loved the way her stepsister's hands were easing all the tension she carried in her body, but she was also trying to be aware of the time that passed. She _couldn't_ , _shouldn't_ indulge Yuzu with these touching sessions, or whatever they were. She couldn't indulge _herself._

Mei looked over towards the bedside table to look at the time. "It's been ten minutes, Yuzu." She placed her palms on the bed to get ready to push off the mattress. "Thank you, that felt wonderful."

She suddenly found that she was unable to rise from the bed because Yuzu's arms were wrapped around her, one across her upper chest and the other across her stomach.

"No," Yuzu whined. "Let's lie down and…"

"And what?"

"Cuddle."

Mei turned her head to look at Yuzu with a scolding expression, the worst she could muster at the moment, which admittedly was not her most severe ever. "This is why I can't trust you."

Yuzu didn't look the least bit remorseful at Mei's stated lack of trust. A mischievous smile flashed across her face and she started to lean back against the bed, intent on pulling Mei down with her.

Mei grunted as Yuzu tried to wrestle her into a lying position, pushing her against the pillows and trying to use her weight to keep her from getting up. All the while giggling under her breath.

 _Why this little…_

It also didn't escape Mei that the blonde was also being particularly handsy with her as she tried to maneuver her into a lying position. Yuzu's hand unnecessarily landed on her boob to keep her down, for example. And the other kept rubbing and squeezing her thighs.

Mei let herself be rolled onto her back with minimal resistance. She looked up at Yuzu who was lying half on top of her.

"Guess you're gonna have to take a little longer break."

It was a cocky smirk on Yuzu's face that did it for Mei. That, or the smoldering look in her emerald eyes.

Mei lifted her hips from the mattress at the the same time she gripped Yuzu's waist with both hands. Then she turned her torso to the side in one fluid movement, flipping the blonde onto her back.

She immediately crawled on top of her stepsister, straddling her hips. The alpha grabbed Yuzu's wrists and pinned them to the mattress above her head.

Yuzu twisted in her grip, more in surprise than anything. That little movement – the omega's resistance to her control – ignited a dark spark deep in her belly. The instinct to dominate the writhing omega beneath her, to assert that she was _alpha_ , and her, _omega_. Mei tightened her grip on Yuzu's wrists and bore down with more of her weight.

The alpha wanted to render Yuzu helpless.

But she wasn't prepared for the desire that coiled in her gut and seared up her spine when she became fully aware of the fact that she had Yuzu pinned underneath her.

The position triggered muscle memories that were locked deep in her body, along with a flood of images that flashed through her mind.

Mei took a deep breath to clear her head. She looked down at the stepsister and the sight made the next breath catch in her throat.

Yuzu was staring up at her with naked desire written on her face. She was wearing the look of someone who was impossibly turned on. Mei watched her eyes darken rapidly, pupils swallowing the green of her irises, and all she found as she stared into those depths was raw, burning need.

Now that she had stopped struggling, Mei could feel how pliant Yuzu's body was under her. She felt a primal urge to push against Yuzu's softness. To assert her dominance so Yuzu could offer her submission.

Yuzu would look back at this moment later and try to analyze it, but at the moment all she knew was that she _liked_ being held down by the alpha. She really, really liked it but wouldn't have been able to explain exactly why.

Because she was restrained, Yuzu couldn't do anything except lay there. But she really needed for Mei to do something. Anything.

 _Just take me. Do anything you want with me._

Mei could feel her blood pounding through her body. Electricity thrummed in her veins. She felt that maybe her heart might burst, if she didn't do something.

It was Yuzu who broke the stalemate. With hooded eyes, she tilted her head to the side, exposing the delicate column of her neck. Presenting her scent gland to the alpha on top of her.

Desire coiled in her gut at the submissive gesture from her sweet omega. Her mouth was on the skin below Yuzu's ear the next moment, drawing a pleasured gasp from the blonde.

Yuzu felt the graze of her Mei's teeth on her neck, and a moan was torn from her throat. She could feel the alpha's teeth sink lightly into her neck, not hard enough to break the skin, but hard enough to make her ache between her legs.

Mei lifted her head from mouthing at her neck long enough to say in a low voice, "Mine."

Yuzu whimpered, the ache in her core flaring into a full blown inferno. Her hands twisted in Mei's grip, but they held fast. She swallowed the "Alpha" that was threatening to escape her lips. She knew if she opened her mouth to talk she would start to beg. _Please._

Or worse – _I'm yours._

So instead of giving voice to her head battling with her heart, Yuzu raised her legs and wrapped them around Mei's hips and pulled the alpha closer to her. She turned her head and nudged Mei's head off her neck with her shoulder.

Yuzu had just enough range of movement to seek out Mei's lips with her own.

The way she parted her lips for Mei's tongue to enter her mouth was like slipping the right key into a lock. It felt so easy, so natural. So right.

Like it could keep happening again and again. Like they weren't playing with fire in a paper house.

Mei's break extended far beyond the promised 10 minutes.

* * *

In the dark several hours later, Mei couldn't fall asleep.

Lying on her side, with Yuzu's bottom snugly tucked into the curve of her hip, the alpha fretted about what transpired that evening.

She wasn't bummed out that she didn't get to finish studying for trigonometry. She was already several steps ahead of the class.

No, it was that she and Yuzu had gotten up close and personal _again._ For the past couple of weeks—after they would come home from school, they would inevitably end up sitting beside each other, just talking like normal stepsisters. But then Yuzu would end up snuggled up next to her…or sprawled on top of her….or sitting on her lap.

More often than not they would end up scenting each other. Each time they ended up kissing.

Tonight however, was the first time Yuzu ended up _underneath_ her. The memory of the omega looking up at her raised a tingle in her spine.

But this was insane. They were treading on very dangerous ground here. She could feel in her bones that something was growing between them. Beyond physical, definitely emotional. It was like magnetism. Like static electricity crackling between them.

It couldn't get stronger. It had to stop before it became this monster that neither of them could control.

In the past she would have been confident in her ability to keep her cool, to not lose her shit. But after the mate bite she gave Yuzu? She didn't trust herself.

She was in no position to keep feeding this beast.

Mei closed her eyes. _It ends today. No more. I have to be strong about this._

Mei screwed her eyes tighter and prayed for sleep, a respite from the worry and sadness churning in her belly.

Despite being held in Mei's arms, Yuzu also couldn't fall asleep. Lying side by side, with Mei's arm across her chest holding her close, it felt like their bodies were made for each other.

But she should be pulling away, not getting closer.

Yuzu vowed to start tomorrow.

* * *

At lunch the next day, Yuzu's phone vibrated against her leg. Pulling the phone out of her pocket, she saw on the lock screen that it was message from Haruki. She bit her lip.

Keeping the phone under the table, Yuzu quickly opened the message.

 **Haruki:** _Hey pretty girl. so see you at 4pm, ryt?_

 **Yuzu:** _yes_

The blonde discreetly slipped her phone into her pocket, and turned her attention back to the conversation with her friends. She felt the vibration of another notification, but she didn't check it until she went to the bathroom before the lunch period ended.

 **Haruki:** _Great. C u then. And pls wear pants not a skirt ok._

Yuzu pressed her mouth into a thin line. _Remember. You're supposed to be putting distance between you and Mei. You will go do other things and enjoy it. No. More. After. School. Cuddles._

* * *

Matsuri had her head down on her desk when she heard their history teacher dismiss the class for the day. The pink-haired girl lifted her head from the pillow of her arms. _Freakin finally._

Rubbing her eyes and yawning, the alpha closed the notebook that she almost drooled on and shoved it in the drawer underneath her desk.

 _Hmmm. Where should we hang out today? The arcade? Denny's?_ Matsuri stretched her arms and then scratched her head _. Better ask bae where she wants to go._

She slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out the door.

As she was about to round the corner towards Harumi and Yuzu's classroom, she spotted Azuma Tokaku who was walking towards her.

Matsuri's hackles rose at the sight of the alpha. She didn't have any beef with Tokaku herself, but she was the packmaster of Isuke and Haruki, her two mortal enemies.

"What do you want?" Matsuri snapped.

Stopping in front of Matsuri, Tokaku raised an eyebrow. "I wanted to see if you were going to that college admission information session. It's tailored specifically for alphas."

"I ain't going to college. I'm just gonna be a drug dealer," Matsuri retorted.

Tokaku rolled her eyes. "I think you should come anyway, in case dealing drugs as a career option falls through."

The packmaster paused and cocked her head. "Besides, what about when Taniguchi-san goes to college? Plenty of alphas in any university would be interested in meeting a gorgeous freshman like Taniguchi-san."

Tokaku's mouth curled into a smirk. "And not just female alphas, but male alphas too."

Matsuri glared at Tokaku, a growl ready to rumble from her throat.

Scowling, Matsuri followed the alpha to the classroom where the information session was being held, firing off a quick text to her group chat telling them she had somewhere to be.

* * *

Suzuran was waiting for Yuzu at the lockers when she smelled another alpha in her vicinity.

When she turned around, Namatame Chitaru greeted her with a smile with a little wave. The alpha was in the same pack as Isuke and Haruki, but she and Chitaru were on good terms. Chitaru was friendly with everyone.

"Shiraho-san, I totally spaced out during Health class today, and someone just told me that sensei was giving pointers for the quiz tomorrow. I know you take really good notes – could I copy them from you right now? I'll be quick about it."

* * *

"Meeting adjourned," Mei said to the student council.

The sounds of conversation filled the office as the council members got up to leave, some lingering behind to chat and catch up with friends.

When the last girl exited the room and it was just the president and the vice president left at the table, Himeko said quietly, "President, I know you're going to say this is none of my business, but…"

Mei winced, bracing herself. _Yes sweetie, it's none of your business._

"I can smell Aihara Yuzu's scent on you. It doesn't smell the same way as when you were mated, but…it's totally there. And it's been consistent. It's like you scent each other everyday or something." Himeko's voice progressively got more agitated.

"What is going on?" Himeko's face was twisted in an expression equal parts concern and confusion.

The alpha resisted the urge to sigh and let her shoulders droop. She had to show strength, never weakness. Always.

"Um, Yuzu has been feeling sick lately, probably side effects of her abnormal heat." Mei coughed lightly. Her mind whirled in search for some other plausible explanation as to why she had Yuzu's scent on her.

"Apparently my scent makes her feel a little bit better, so… I've been scenting her here and there, because she's sick, you know," Mei offered weakly.

Himeko frowned, clearly not buying this line of bullshit. She retorted, "So you scent _each other_ because she's sick?"

"Well her scent just accidentally gets on me when I'm scenting her!" Mei said defensively.

The alpha ignored her memory from that morning of reaching out for Yuzu's hand and rubbing the inside of the blonde's wrist across her cheeks and along her jaw. She wasn't thinking, she did it out reflex. _Dammit._

Himeko heaved an exasperated sigh. Sure, she had never been scented by an alpha before, but she was preeeetty sure that's not how it worked.

Himeko looked down at her folded hands and frowned. "I just don't want you to get hurt again. I was pretty worried about you after the whole mate bond thing with Aihara Yuzu. I don't want to see you like that again, if whatever is going on with you and that gyaru blows up in your face…again."

"I'll be fine. There is nothing going on between me and Yuzu. We're stepsisters who live together. That's it," Mei said firmly. _If I say it out loud often enough, it'll come true. And I'll believe it._

"All right, fine." Himeko shrugged. She gathered her things, and as she was about to rise from her seat, she turned to Mei and said, "Oh did you see the memo from the Admissions Office? The one about the two new transfer students?"

Mei nodded and pulled out a file folder from the bottom of her stack. "Yes, kind of odd to get transfer students in the middle of the year." After glancing at the memo in the folder, she remarked, "And it says here that the girls are sisters."

"Not just sisters, but twins!"

Mei flipped to the attached student profiles. "And one them is a registered omega."

Himeko hummed thoughtfully. "Well that brings the count of omegas in the student body of Aihara Academy up to six."

"20 alphas and 6 omegas. 334 betas," Mei confirmed. "They'll be starting tomorrow. Do you think you could meet with them before class in the morning?"

When an omega entered a new school or workplace, it was protocol for them to be assigned another omega in the institution as a point of contact or resource. With Himeko being an omega in the student council, she fulfilled this role for all new students.

"Sure, it shouldn't be a problem." Himeko reached for the file folder. Studying the student's photo, she asked, "Is platinum blond back in style or something?"

Mei shrugged and accepted the file folder when Himeko handed it back. They were getting ready to do the after school rounds when there was a knock on the door.

Mei opened the door and found Hanabusa Sumireko standing there. She instinctively shifted into a more defensive stance. The muscles in her stomach tightened, she angled her feet slightly to the side, and heel of her back foot lifted from the ground.

The last time she was face to face with Hanabusa Sumireko was when she was in a brawl with their pack over Yuzu.

Sumireko bowed and said, "Good afternoon Aihara-san. Could I talk to you for a few minutes?"

"Of course." Mei opened the door wider, and the alpha stepped inside the office. "Talk to me about what?"

A sweet smile spread over Sumireko's innocent face, reaching her brilliant blue eyes. "The Hanabusa corporation is interested in sponsoring a large part of the upcoming culture festival. As its representative in this school, I wanted to discuss ideas of what the corporation can sponsor. Like funds for theater sets, food booths, competition prizes, things like that."

Mei paused, caught off guard by this development, but very pleased. Nodding, she motioned for Sumireko to take a seat at the conference table. She turned to the vice president and said, "Himeko, please go ahead and do the rounds by yourself today. Hanabusa-san and I will likely be talking for a while."

* * *

Yuzu was staring at the floor deep in thought as she rode the elevator down to the lobby, hands stuffed in the pockets of her jeans.

 _Wow, I thought I was gonna have to be all cloak and dagger about this, but turns out everyone was busy today._

Even though she didn't run into any of her "alpha bodyguards" (Mei, Matsuri, Shirapon), she was feeling slightly uncomfortable about meeting Haruki.

She mostly felt guilty about sneaking behind Mei's back. Her stepsister would go ballistic if she found out, obviously. But she had no right to tell her who to see and who not to see.

These last couple of weeks, she had avoided Haruki and Isuke because she didn't want to make Mei angry. She didn't want to disturb this new thing she had going on with Mei at home.

 _But I can't think like that anymore. We're not a happy couple playing house._ Yuzu's mouth pulled into a bitter smile at the thought.

 _I'm not her little wife waiting for her to come home, with dinner ready on the table._

The elevator doors opened and Yuzu stepped out into the lobby. She then made her way to the back entrance of the apartment building, which few people ever used. Even though she was fairly sure Mei wouldn't be coming home anytime soon, she still exercised an abundance of caution.

Yuzu stood under the overhang of the back entrance, where she told Haruki to meet her. She idly wondered what they were going to do. The alpha didn't really tell her, but they really hadn't had the chance to discuss it.

At 3:59, Yuzu heard the high-pitched metallic squeal of a motorcycle tearing through the parking lot.

 _Geebus. Fuckin loud._

Yuzu glanced at her watch. _Wait. Is that…?_

It was. At exactly 4pm, Sagae Haruki pulled up in a big, black, Kawasaki sportbike.

Yuzu was so caught off guard that she just stared at the rider and the bike idle on the curb. She thought the alpha was going to show up _on foot_ for fuck's sake, not rock up in a sportbike that was barely street legal.

Haruki cut the engine and removed her helmet. She slipped a hand in her hair and wiggled her fingers to fluff it up and then shook her head.

Yuzu's gaze raked down the alpha's form, taking in the long red locks cascading over her shoulders, a sharp contrast against her black leather racer jacket, which was snug on her like a second skin, zipped all the way up to a snap-tab collar. Long slender legs in tight jeans, straddling her high-powered horse of steel and carbon fiber.

Sagae Haruki did not just look like a snack. She was a fucking entrée.

The smile that curled over Haruki's mouth made her stomach flutter.

Haruki drawled, "Hey, Yuzu. Ready to go for a ride?"

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

So this chapter was supposed to be centered around Yuzu and Haruki … but that's not what happened. But next chapter will pick up at the very next moment where this one ended. Yuzu is going to feel the thrill of riding a street rocket, with 200 horsepower between her legs ;-)

Thoughts on the chapter? Any guesses on who those new transfer students might be? XD


	17. But Bad Girls Bring Heaven to You

Yuzu's eyes drank in the sight of Sagae Haruki straddling a big black sport bike, asking if she was ready to go for a ride.

 _Uh, heck yeah I'm ready to go for a ride. I'll ride more than your bike, sweetie._

The blonde giggled at her own ridiculous train of thought. She was kidding! Nothing was going to happen between her and the drop dead gorgeous, super sexy alpha. Of course not! There was that one time, when Haruki and Isuke _helped_ her when she went into an abnormal heat while in school.

Yuzu walked up to edge of sidewalk. Playing it coy, she asked, "I don't know, is it safe?"

She bit her lip and furrowed her brow in a concerned expression that she knew looked totally adorable, especially to alphas. It triggered their protective instincts or something. "I've never ridden on a motorcycle before."

The reaction to her words was immediate, like pulling a puppet on strings. Haruki drew herself up and squared her shoulders. "I promise that I'll drive safely. I would _never_ do anything that would put you in danger. I'd die first before I allowed you to get hurt."

Yuzu tilted her head and gave the alpha her sweetest smile. How could she say no after such a fine specimen of alpha professed to protect her? Even though she actually did have a little apprehension. _Hello, there's nothing between me and the road_.

 _But surely, who else better to pop my motorcycle cherry than Sagae Haruki?_

"All right, I trust you. Don't like, drop me on the road, okay?"

"Never."

"Where are we going anyway?" Yuzu asked as she stepped closer to the side of the bike, rehearsing the motions of climbing onto the passenger seat in her mind. She wanted to look as graceful as possible and not look like a total noob.

"Oh I just want to take you to a scenic spot where we can watch the sunset. It's a beautiful sight and I want to share it with a beautiful girl."

 _Smoooth. I bet that line is supposed to make my panties drop. Or at least start nudging them southward._

 _Good thing I'm wearing jeans or that would have been way too easy._

Yuzu smirked. Holding on to Haruki's shoulder, she carefully placed her right foot on the peg, and swung her leg over the side of the bike. After she settled herself on the rear seat behind the driver, Haruki handed her a black helmet with pink accents.

Taking the helmet with both hands, she mourned all the time she spent this morning curling her hair with the hot iron. Her hair was on point but now it was all going to be ruined because she was going to shove her head into this helmet. Sighing inwardly, she put it on.

An alpha's scent hit Yuzu so hard she almost slipped off the seat. The owner of this helmet was clearly Haruki's girlfriend, and the scent was so potent that Yuzu had to grip Haruki's shoulders with both hands in order the steady herself.

The smell of ripe strawberries and cream filled Yuzu's nostrils, overwhelming her senses. Isuke's baseline scent was sweet and heady, like melting sugar, but it was charged with raw female arousal, giving the top notes a salty tang.

In essence, Isuke was overt female sexuality.

The image of a predatory Isuke pinning her down by the wrists sprang in her mind unbidden. A slight whimper escaped her lips as she tried to squeeze her thighs together. Which didn't do much, as there was several hundred pounds of steel between her legs.

"You all right?" Haruki asked over her shoulder.

Yuzu quickly opened the visor of the helmet, mercifully allowing her to take a lungful of air that wasn't completely laced with alpha pheromones.

"I'm okay." She cleared her throat. "Uh, what do I need to know about riding behind you? I don't want you to do anything to mess you up or throw you off balance."

Haruki turned her head to the side to look at Yuzu behind her. "You can lean into the turns but don't overdo it. Just keep your torso lined up with mine." She patted the omega's knee. "Keep your feet on the pegs."

"Okay, sounds easy enough." Yuzu snapped the visor back down, and her olfactory system was flooded by the scent of licorice and sweet red wine, but thankfully not as overwhelming as before. It was really a lot safer if she wasn't choking on the scent of a very sexy, very arousing alpha.

Haruki flashed her a final smile before she put on her own helmet, and then leaned over the gas tank to grab the handlebars.

Yuzu had to admit that she had a great view from the back. The tight leather jacker hugged the lines of the alpha's athletic body as she leaned over the powerful engine.

Haruki revved the engine with a loud roar.

 _Oh shit, what do I hold on to?_

As if reading her mind, Haruki waited with the idling bike until Yuzu wrapped her arms around her waist. With a clipped squeal of tires, they rumbled out of the parking lot. Thus commenced Yuzu's first motorcycle ride.

The traffic around the apartment building was heavy, so the ride started off slowly. But as they got farther away from downtown, the traffic got lighter. Peering over Haruki's shoulder, Yuzu could see them approaching a longish stretch of road where one lane was completely clear.

Up to this point, Yuzu was being _chill_ and making a point not to hang on too hard to the alpha in driver seat. She didn't want to appear like a koala bear attached to Haruki's back.

Then Haruki rolled back the throttle, and the bike shot forward with a smooth roar, going up to 160km in less than 10 seconds. Yuzu's stomach lurched and her arms tightened around the alpha's midsection. It felt like the world was whizzing by, and her instinct was to hold tight to the girl in front of her lest she get blown away from her perch at the back of the speeding bike.

After a while Yuzu's heart rate calmed down as she got used to the high speed of the bike, and she was finally convinced that she wasn't going to fly off.

She still kept her arms wrapped around Haruki's waist because it felt…really nice. In fact, Yuzu was glad that she had a reason to hold her so close. Because really, what situation warranted her hugging Haruki from behind?

God, she felt so lucky right now. Here she was, on the back of the motorcycle of one of the hottest girls in Aihara Academy. Yuzu felt ridiculous even just thinking it, but if anyone in school saw her right now, they would _die_ of jealousy. A secret smile curled over the blonde's mouth, unseen under the tinted helmet.

It would almost offset the humiliation of being known as the girl who was once mated to Aihara Mei. Almost.

A dark cloud momentarily passed over Yuzu's mood at the memory of her stepsister breaking their mate bond.

 _It never gets old. Every time, it makes me want to rage._

But she quickly forgot about her break up drama because her attention was drawn back to Haruki's warm, solid form.

Having tightened her hold on Haruki's midsection, she discovered that the alpha had _abs._

Trying her best to be stealth, Yuzu eased her arms that were wrapped around Haruki's middle. She slowly slid her elbows back, her shoulder blades pinching together, until her palms were resting on the alpha's stomach.

 _Oh yes. These are definitely abs._

Yuzu was counting on the fact that Haruki was too preoccupied with driving the vehicle and keeping her eyes on the road to notice that she was copping a feel on these abs. The blonde surreptitiously traced the hard ridges of muscle on Haruki's stomach with her fingers.

In her mind, she imagined standing in front of Haruki, her hand slipping into the hem of the girl's shirt. Her palm slid up the hard plane of Haruki's stomach, touching her soft skin and feeling the firm muscles underneath. And the alpha, this gorgeous, sexy alpha, was smiling down at her, letting her touch her explore…

At the front of the bike, Haruki smiled slyly to herself. She could guess what the omega was thinking, if her wandering her hands were any indication. The omega probably thought she was being discreet. Haruki's mouth quirked, a chuckle tickling her throat. _Nice and easy. Good things come to those who wait._

The motorcycle ride continued for another half hour, and as they neared the outskirts of the city the traffic became even lighter, and Haruki was able to really open up the engine. The bike was Haruki's most prized material possession, and she took pride in the awesome ride she was able to give her blond passenger.

Meanwhile, Yuzu was discovering a _curious_ effect of sitting in the saddle of a high-powered motorcycle. As the engine purred beneath her, it sent vibrations all around her pelvic area, concentrated in the apex of her thighs. The padded seat was a conduit of buzzing, rhythmic pulses between her core and the powerful engine.

It was low key uncomfortable because she was getting hot and bothered _down there_. This damn motorcycle had been vibrating her nether parts for so long that she kind of wanted to get off. The bike. To make things worse, the buzzing was stimulating, but wasn't quite _strong enough_. Also maddening was the fact that her head was still trapped a helmet that held Isuke's alpha scent, which was coiling around her brain, making her feel lightheaded.

Oh, add the fact that she was molded to Haruki's back, arms wrapped around her strong, muscular body.

Yuzu was dancing on the razor's edge.

Technically, it was possible to increase the stimulation rumbling though her core. Purely for curiosity's sake, Yuzu experimentally squeezed her legs tight and bore down on the motorcycle seat. Coincidentally, this was also the moment Haruki sped up the bike to pass a slower car. The rumbling between Yuzu's legs roared to a sharp pulse, causing white hot pleasure to lance through her. Caught off guard at the spike of sensations, she groaned inside her helmet and a shudder raced up her spine.

Another smile curled over Haruki's face as she felt the omega trembling in pleasure behind her. _Works every time._

After what seemed like a tortuously long time to the blonde (it wasn't), the bike slowed, and Haruki pulled off the road.

Yuzu sighed in relief (and a smidge regretfully) when Haruki cut the engine and the buzzing that was assaulting her center died. She pulled off her helmet as soon as the alpha kicked down the bike stand, then drew several deep breaths into her lungs, trying to dislodge Isuke's intoxicating scent from her nose.

"You can get off now," Haruki said over her shoulder.

Yuzu nodded and dismounted the bike very carefully, as she was feeling a little wobbly. Sure enough, when she started walking, her legs felt like jelly.

Haruki had driven them to a scenic overlook in the edge of the city. There were a few trees that made the place feel like a nature spot despite being right off the main road. She quickly walked down a little path around a boulder and was greeted by the sight of the whole city sprawled below her, and above it a sky on fire.

Yuzu turned when she heard the redheaded alpha walk up behind her. "Oh my god, this place is amazing!"

The smile that flared across Haruki's face was as brilliant as the setting sun in the horizon. "I hoped that you would like it. I've wanted to bring you here for a while now."

 _Awwwwwww._

A giddy little thrill tickled at the base of Yuzu's spine and swirled in her gut. She stared at Haruki, standing there with Ray-ban aviators, that sharp jawline, soft full lips, long scarlet hair cascading down her back. Her pretty face was a tantalizing juxtaposition to her boyish attire. With the black racer jacket now unzipped, showing a slice of a pristine white t-shirt in between, a smoldering look in her eyes, she looked like a young female James Dean.

Sagae Haruki embodied that enigmatic combination of masculine energy with a feminine finish. The omega found it hard to resist.

Or maybe it was because she had spent the last hour or so on the back of a motorcycle being primed for the alpha's attentions.

Yuzu stepped closer to Haruki and lifted her chin to look at the taller girl. "I'm really glad to be here with you, Haruki-san."

Haruki pulled off her sunglasses, tucked them into the neck of her t-shirt. She raised her eyes towards the horizon, a thoughtful expression on her face, before dropping her gaze to the Yuzu's upturned face.

"I know this is going to sound pretty forward, but I'm just going to lay it all out on the table, Yuzu-chan. It's kind of hard to get you alone, so I'm going to ask you now while I have the chance."

"Ask me what?"

The alpha put her hands on the omega's hips. "Isuke and I were dead serious when we asked you to be our mate. What's you answer, Yuzu-chan?"

Yuzu felt a pull on her abdomen. Haruki wasn't giving a command, but her voice held the reverb of an alpha compelling an answer from an omega.

The blonde swept her tongue across her bottom lip and sucked the ribbon of flesh into her mouth. _Holy shit. I did not see that coming._

She had been so distracted the past few weeks that she hadn't given enough thought on how she would respond to this question if or when it came up.

Her thoughts whirled. Mei flashed in her mind, like an arctic wind churning through her brain. Shirapon's tall, stately visage flashed across her mind next. Then Matsuri's face intruded into her consciousness, the alpha's eyes a deep cobalt, lips peeled back into a snarl. She could practically _hear_ the growl from her best friend.

Yuzu eyelashes fluttered, banishing the other alphas from her thoughts. It was easy; Haruki's alpha scent was pressing into her mind, filtering into her bloodstream.

"I'm sorry but I haven't really thought about it," Yuzu confessed. "I've just had a lot of things going on lately. I honestly don't know what to do with myself sometimes or what I'm doing. But that doesn't mean that I don't want to… It sounds nice honestly, but there's just so many…things to consider."

Yuzu ended her rambling with a sigh.

Haruki raised a hand to cup the side of Yuzu's face. The alpha's palm was warm and calloused, no doubt from the sports and weapons training that kept her body in incredible shape. Yuzu barely suppressed a shiver as she felt the rough palm against the soft skin of her cheek, imagining those hands on other parts of her body.

"I think what you're trying to say is that there are other alphas who are trying to influence your decision. And that it's hard to make a decision, given that those alphas are quite close to you."

"I mean," Yuzu's mumbled. "Yeah, sort of. Something like that, I guess."

"And I suppose living with a former mate is quite disconcerting. And it has you feeling confused, unbalanced. There's always a yearning you can't satisfy, dangling in front of you." Haruki raised a brow.

Yuzu flinched. Someone mentioning her 'former mate' stung, every damn time. "It's complicated," she grumbled.

The alpha smiled wide in apology, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth and prominent canines. "I take it that's a sore topic."

"It's whatever," Yuzu said with a slight frown. "My stepsister giving me a mate bite was an accident. Breaking a mate bond sucked, but I'm over it now." She shrugged. "I'm good."

"You don't have to pretend that what you went through wasn't devastating." Haruki shook her head gently. "A mate bond is the strongest bond we form as adults. Being forced to break that is _hell._ I'm in awe that you survived it without having a break down."

 _Yeah, well. I just don't wear the scars on the outside._ "Okay, I guess I'm a badass then."

Haruki smiled in agreement, and she stroked the omega's cheek with her thumb.

Eyes half-lidded, Yuzu couldn't help but lean into Haruki's warm, calloused hand. The alpha was so close, the scent gland on the inside of her wrist was inches from the omega's nose. And she smelled so good.

"You are incredible, Yuzu-chan," the alpha said in low, throaty voice. "And Isuke and I _want_ you. We can't imagine doing what Aihara Mei did to you. A whole pack of feral alphas couldn't convince us to give you up, to unbond with you." Her voice dropped a whole octave lower. "We're the kind of alphas who would never abandon our omega. We'd sooner die."

Yuzu swallowed. The low timber of Haruki's voice, combined with her thumb stroking her cheek, and her dark, smoky scent—was incredibly potent.

 _What omega in their right mind wouldn't want to be claimed by alpha like Sagae Haruki?_ Haruki was the kind of alpha that made betas and omegas _swoon._ In fact, she was pretty sure every unmated omega who came across Sagae Haruki fantasized of being her mate. The reason why no one as much as approaches Haruki is, of course, a jealous alpha girlfriend by the name of Inukai Isuke.

Now was a good time to bring up her biggest concern.

"Haruki-san, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but like." An embarrassed expression flashed across Yuzu's face. "I kinda don't understand how I could be mated to _two_ people, who are also mated to _each other_. Sorry, I must sound so lame"

"Don't ever apologize for being honest." Haruki gave Yuzu's cheek a gentle squeeze. "I know that the idea of having two mates might seem…unnatural. Counter intuitive. There's a lot of ideas about the practice of having more than one mate, and I'll text you some links about ethical polyamory and now it intersects with traditional alpha/omega dynamics. You can read them later, but only if you want to."

"Oh, okay thanks." Still feeling sheepish, Yuzu shifted her gaze away from Haruki, but the alpha gently turned the blonde's face back towards hers.

"I know it's a lot to think about. Choosing a mate is one of the most important decisions an omega makes in her life, and we're asking you to decide if you want two alphas that come as a package deal." Haruki chuckled.

Yuzu's mouth twisted in consternation. _It's not particularly funny that I have to make these impossible decisions. Do I really want to be the meat in this alpha sandwich? Like, is that going to be great, or terrible?_

Haruki took the omega's face with both hands. "We're not going to pressure you in choosing us. We would never do anything that's against your will. Isuke and I understand that the decision is all yours to make, and we are so honored that you are considering our offer."

At the mention of doing something against her will, the image of Mei holding her down as she sank her teeth into her neck flew to the front of her mind, and her throat locked up at the thought of how she received her mate bite. Yuzu hurriedly shoved the memory into the dark recesses of her mind.

The image of Mei faded away as the blonde drank in the alpha currently standing in front of her. A tall, strong, gorgeous alpha asking to be her mate. An alpha who she had undeniable chemisty with.

The sun was sinking below the horizon, painting the sky with streaks of blood orange and fiery yellow. Yuzu admired the way the sunset lit up Haruki's eyes as she stared at twin crucibles of molten gold.

Yuzu wanted Haruki to kiss her. Badly. The desire that had been simmering since she mounted that motorcycle and wrapped her arms around the alpha finally came to a head, and Yuzu wanted, needed to be kissed by this girl.

The blonde raised her hands and laid her hands on the alpha's upper chest. She wet her lips and said, "I am seriously considering your offer. But I'm going to need… a little convincing."

The rakish smile that sliced through Haruki's face made Yuzu's stomach flutter. She wasn't naïve, she realized that Haruki had mad game, but she couldn't resist wanting to play. She wasn't going to go as far as bare her neck to the alpha, the ultimate gesture of submission, but seriously, she needed to make out with this hot piece.

 _I did not ride on the back of a motorcycle to see a romantic sunset and not have at least a little action._

"And what could I do to convince you, Yuzu-chan?" Haruki dropped her gaze to Yuzu's mouth before brushing the blonde's lower lip with her thumb.

"I need to see how compatible we are," Yuzu paused, before pushing through her embarrassment for asking for what she wanted. "Kissing."

The alpha rewarded her with another smile before she dipped her head and captured her mouth. When their lips finally touched, Yuzu wrapped her arms around the taller girl's neck.

Kissing the alpha was everything Yuzu thought it would be. Haruki kissed her languidly and confidently, dominantly exploring her mouth at the same time coaxing her tongue to engage more fully in the kiss. Yuzu moaned when Haruki twirled her tongue around hers, in a decidedly advanced move. _Ugh, she is such a good kisser. She's obviously had lots of practice._

Haruki's smoky scent further enhanced the experience. The masculine smell of sandalwood, vetiver, and leather was so novel and different from the scents she was usually exposed to.

It was an autumn walk in the woods as the leaves changed colors. It was sitting in front of a warm fire under a canopy of stars, woodsmoke in her hair, while being held in her alpha's arms. Strong, stable, and faithful.

The dark, earthy scent flooded her senses with every intake of air as she sank further into the kiss. Yuzu slipped her fingers into Haruki's red hair as she pulled the taller girl even closer to her, as the blood-orange streaks of light faded in the sky as the sun finally dipped below the horizon.

* * *

Mei looked up from her textbook when she heard a noise coming from the living room. _Yuzu's home._

The alpha briefly considered getting up from her desk to go ask her stepsister where she spent her evening. _She probably went to the arcade with that delinquent Matsuri or to Harumi's house._

Mei sighed and quashed the urge. It wasn't her place to control the omega's movements, remember? It was really time to start reigning in her impulses.

Besides, she was already slightly behind in her homework, as her conversation with Hanabusa Sumireko ran longer than expected. Despite being in the same pack as Sagae Haruki and Inukai Isuke, the heiress proved to have a good head on her shoulders. Sumireko was eager to talk about the ways the Hanabusa corporation could sponsor parts of the culture festival, and they talked for well over an hour.

Mei heard the shower in the bathroom turn on, and she realized that Yuzu was sticking to their agreement of giving each other space after school. Yuzu didn't usually shower as soon as she came home, so it must mean that she was trying to do things to fill her time while Mei did her schoolwork.

Regardless of their agreement, what she really wanted was a kiss from the omega. It would be really nice…

Mei smacked her forehead with the heel of her palm and took a deep breath.

Full of resolve, she turned her attention back to her homework.

* * *

Matsuri was scrolling through her Instagram when a nagging thought popped into her mind. She lightly scratched the scalp of the girl laying on her chest. "Hey babe?"

"Hmmmm?" Harumi had almost nodded off to sleep, and she didn't even open her eyes to respond to the alpha.

Matsuri moved her hand to stroke the girl's back, running her palm over the warm, bare skin. "Where'd Yuzu go after school today?"

Harumi snuggled even closer into the alpha's chest, earning a smile from the pink-haired girl. "She just went straight home," the beta mumbled.

"Hmmm. Okay." Matsuri dismissed the strange feeling and put down her phone. She needed both hands for her girl.

* * *

It was about half an hour before classes started in the morning, and Momokino Himeko was giving the two new transfer students a quick tour of Aihara Academy.

The vice president was tasked with welcoming and orienting the two girls because one of them was an omega. Himeko, being the sole omega in the student council, would serve as a kind of "mentor" to the new girl. She would explain the resources and facilities specifically for omegas, and more importantly, help her navigate the tacit rules of alpha, beta, and omega behavior in their school.

"There are 20 alphas in the student body of Aihara Academy," Himeko said to the two girls as they walked down a hallway in the first floor. "Two in the first year, six in the second year, and twelve in the third year. There's a pack comprised of six alphas. The packmaster's name is Azuma Tokaku. Short blue hair, quiet." Himeko turned her head towards the omega. "I'm sure you'll know who she is when you come across her."

"Yes, I'm sure," agreed the omega amiably. "Pack alphas are pretty easy to recognize."

"Is the pack dangerous?" the other new girl, the omega's twin sister, asked point blank. "Are they big bullies? Like, will they try to mess with onee-chan? Cus I can take them. I'll fight them all off."

Himeko regarded the other silver-haired girl curiously. Strikingly beautiful, almost a full head taller than her twin, the beta was clearly more extroverted and outgoing than her sister. She also didn't have a filter.

The vice president cleared her throat, considering her words carefully. "The pack doesn't make the environment in the school inherently dangerous, no. Since there's only one in the school, there are no territorial disputes or any such nonsense that alphas have amongst themselves. Plus, all the alphas in that pack are mated. One of their omegas is here, and the others are in different schools."

"Okay, good to know," the shorter twin said.

"Oh wait, scratch that. Two of the pack members do not have omega mates." Himeko frowned as she remembered Sagae Haruki and Inukai Isuke. She waved her hand dismissively. "But anyway, don't worry about those two either. It's a long story."

"Ohhhhh is there juicy gossip about the girls in the pack? Tell me tell me," the beta giggled.

Himeko huffed in exasperation. She needed to show them around the whole school before class started, and they were never going to get through it all because this girl was being a such a chatterbox.

The vice president opened her mouth to give the taller girl a scolding, but the only sound that came out was a short yelp because the shorter sister suddenly grabbed her forearm tightly, nails digging into her skin.

"Who is that?" the omega asked Himeko with a gasp.

Tachibana Sara stared at Aihara Mei across the hallway in complete wonder. At first sight, Sara fell in love.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Yes, it's been 84 years since I last updated this story. Well the only excuse I have is… I kind of hit a block with this story. So I put it on the back burner for a while and worked on a couple of other stories. But I finally broke through the writer's block and I'll be updating this story more regularly going forward!

So about the chapter…. thoughts?


	18. The Bonds of Fate

Mei was walking behind a gaggle of girls when she caught the scent of an omega. Not breaking her stride, she tilted her head a tiny bit to locate the source. Giving the air a small sniff, she profiled the omega in her mind.

 _Unmated. Female. Presented as an omega within the last twelve months._

 _Open and approachable. The epitome of the nurturer role typical of omegas._

The omega's scent was sweet and aromatic. The fine perfume of lilies.

The scent was unfamiliar, which meant it had to be the new transfer student. Mei had seen her photo on the student file yesterday, so she didn't have to imagine what the girl looked like. Long, straight silver hair, lavender eyes, and an innocent, cherubic face.

 _Yeah, that fit the bill. If the girl was an animal, she would be a doe-eyed puppy._

 _A white, fluffy, teacup Pomeranian puppy._

As Mei walked away, she noted that the scent seemed to shift. It was no longer subtly sweet, it thickened to something heady. It evoked longing, desire.

Mentally shrugging, the student council president weaved around the girls in front of her and picked up the pace to get to her homeroom class. People like her didn't show up on time; they were always early.

* * *

Tachibana Sara craned her neck, trying to keep the alpha in her sights as she sped away. When the raven-haired girl finally disappeared around a corner, Sara quickly let go of Himeko when she realized that she had a death grip on the vice-president's arm.

Himeko rolled her eyes with a force equal to the earth's rotation on its axis. _Of course. Another omega thirsting for Meimei. Super big surprise._

"I assume you want to ask about the alpha that just walked by," Himeko said, caustically. "That's the student council president."

Sara looked at her with wide eyes, a dreamy look creeping into her features.

Giving a small nod, Nina observed, "She's very pretty."

Himeko pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes for a second. Not waiting for the questions that would come from the omega, she looked Sara in the eye and said, "Yes, she's unmated. She's also arguably the most sought-after _person_ in this whole school. You should know that many people have tried to get her attention. But so far, she's never dated anyone."

The curly-haired girl crossed her arms and said smugly, "I obviously don't know you, Tachibana-san, but a word of advice, omega to omega? Don't even bother. You'll be wasting your breath. Focus on adjusting to our school and doing well in your studies instead."

"Hey!" Nina snapped. "Excuse _you,_ Momokino-san. Onee-chan can do whatever she wants! If she wants to go after the most popular girl in school, she'll do just that. They'll be dating before you know it." The taller twin glared at Himeko and added, "Even if I have to kidnap this alpha and lock them in a broom closet and not let them out until they're mated!"

Himeko blinked, her expression equal parts confusion and disgust.

Sara yanked her twin away from the vice president. "Oh, she's just kidding, Momokino-san." Smiling tightly through her embarrassment, she apologized, "Nina gets carried away sometimes."

Himeko sighed, accepting the fact that she wasn't going to finish this school tour before class started in the morning.

The warning bell rang once, signaling that the first class was beginning in five minutes.

Himeko caught sight of a familiar blonde tearing around a corner. She barked, "No running in the halls!"

"Yeah, yeah I'm just trying not to be late again," huffed Yuzu as she slowed down, stopping in front of Himeko. The blonde looked curiously at the new students.

"Not an excuse," snapped the vice president. Softening her tone the tiniest bit, she said, "I need you to do something for me."

"And what would that be, Momokino-san?"

Himeko gestured to the silver-haired twins. "This is Tachibana Nina and Tachibana Sara. They just transferred here. We didn't finish our tour this morning, so at lunch today, I want you to show them the rest of the school."

Yuzu smiled broadly at the two new girls and wiggled her fingers in a friendly hello. "Nice to meet you! Please call me Yuzu." She turned to Himeko and gave a mock salute. "Will do. You can count on me. I'll give them the best welcome to our fine school."

"Okay, good." Himeko resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Yuzu. The girl was doing her a favor after all. "But the main reason why I chose you to give them the tour is because Tachibana Sara here is an omega."

"Ah." Yuzu nodded slowly in understanding. She should have noticed that there was another omega in the vicinity, but Himeko always overpowered other omega's scents, especially when she was doing official student council duties.

Himeko gave Yuzu a pointed look. "So you know, make sure you give her all the information she needs to know, as an omega in our school."

Chuckling, Yuzu replied, "Okay, boss. I'll give her the 411."

Yuzu turned to Sara and gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry, I'll show you the ropes. I had a bit of a rough start when I presented as an omega a few months ago, but I've definitely gotten the hang of it now. I'll teach you everything I know. You'll get a soft landing here, I promise."

Gratitude swelled in Sara's chest. In truth, she had been full of anxiety and trepidation over this transfer to Aihara Academy. But she was completely disarmed by the genuine kindness of this omega.

For the second time in as many minutes, she saw someone she was _meant_ to meet. Like it was fate. _Destiny, even_. First it was the beautiful alpha who practically stopped her heart. Then she was introduced to Yuzu, and she felt her heart kickstart in her chest. She felt an instant connection to the blond omega, and Sara knew that they would become the best of friends.

Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Sara whispered, "Yuzu. You're a lifesaver."

* * *

Meanwhile, the alpha pack was assembled in a gazebo near the basketball courts, their unofficial meeting place in the school. There was no official record of the space being registered to a club, but the whole student body recognized it as the alpha pack's claimed territory, and therefore, steered clear of it.

"Thank you, everyone, for your help yesterday," Isuke said with a short bow.

"Everything went like clockwork," packmaster Tokaku said with muted approval. "Mizusawa, Shiraho, and Aihara were all duly occupied from 3:15 to 3:45, the window of time that Aihara Yuzu needed to leave school and meet with Haruki. None of them suspected a thing."

"Aihara Mei was almost too easy." Hanabusa Sumireko chuckled. "It was gratifying to play her like a fiddle. We talked for almost an hour about this sponsorship nonsense. She was eating it all up."

Tokaku nodded. "Once you figure out what motivates a person—what they want— you can manipulate them to do pretty much anything. When it comes to Mizusawa, it's clear that her weakness is Taniguchi Harumi. The mere _suggestion_ of another alpha flexing on Taniguchi had Mizusawa scared," the packmaster explained.

"In the case of Shiraho Suzuran, it was simply a matter of me appearing to be a harmless, neutral party." Namatame Chitaru placed her palm over her heart. "She trusted me implicitly."

"It's important to have someone in the pack who's never been seen to act aggressively," agreed Tokaku. She turned to Haruki and asked, "I assume your date with Aihara Yuzu went well?"

"It went _very_ well." Grinning, Haruki flicked her gaze at Isuke and winked. Addressing the other alphas, she said, "Thanks for making it happen you guys. It was well worth it."

The warning bell for first period sounded.

Before dismissing the pack, Tokaku's last remark was, "I'm happy with how we executed the game plan yesterday. I'm confident that tomorrow will go just as smoothly when it's Isuke's turn."

* * *

Lunch period came, and when Yuzu came for the Tachibanas to continue their tour, she found Sara alone.

"Where's your sister?" Yuzu asked the shorter twin.

"Oh, she made friends with a group of girls who sat near her in class." Sara shrugged. "They dragged her off and I guess they're having lunch together."

"Wow, that was fast," Yuzu remarked as she led Sara towards the ground floor of the atrium. "When I first transferred here, I had like, only one friend for months."

"Yeah, it's always been like that with my younger sister. She's very popular. It's not hard to see why. She's tall, beautiful, stacked, plus she's got that _je ne sais quoi_ that attracts people to her like flies to honey. But most people don't realize that she's pretty helpless about a lot of things. If I don't take care of her she'd likely roll over and die."

"Tachibana-san, are you jealous of your twin?" Yuzu asked, teasingly.

"Please call me Sara. And no, I'm not jealous of Nina," Sara remarked. And she really wasn't. Nina may _look_ more mature than her, but Sara was fine being responsible for her sister. Sure, it probably had something to do with her being an omega, with a predisposition to nurture and take care of people.

"Even though back in our old school people were always comparing us because she also happened to be on top of our class. So annoying!" Sara frowned.

Yuzu made a small hum of sympathy. _Wow, Nina reminds me a lot of another top-ranking student I know. Sara and I really have a lot of things in common. Although I'm pretty sure she's not harboring secret, forbidden feelings towards her sister!_

"Little sisters, amirite? Can't live with them, can't live without them," remarked Yuzu.

"Oh, you have a younger sister, Yuzu-chan?"

Yuzu nodded slowly before replying. "I do." Frowning lightly, she reached behind her neck and scratched at her nape. "Although unlike you, I'm not a very good older sister. I don't think I make life easier for my younger sister. Far from it, actually."

Sara reached out and grasped Yuzu's arm. "Don't say that. I'm sure you love your sister, and you're doing your best. She's lucky to have a person like you."

"Um." Yuzu mumbled, "Right." Sara's wide, trusting eyes made her a little uncomfortable.

 _Is Mei really lucky to have someone like me? Wouldn't both our lives be much simpler if we weren't…related? Roommates? Alpha and omega? Drowning in sexual tension?_

"Of course I'm right. Yuzu, when I met you, I felt right away you were a good person. You're one of those genuinely kind souls you meet once in a lifetime, and it may seem like a coincidence, but I think it's fate," Sara said with conviction.

As they passed the auditorium, Sara continued with a non sequitur. "This day turned out to be really good day. I also saw an angel this morning in the hallway."

"An…angel?"

"I was practically blinded by her beauty."

" _Her_ beauty?" Yuzu parroted, shock in her voice.

Sara stopped abruptly and asked, "Do you think there's something wrong with that? That the person I like happens to be a girl?"

"No, no!" Yuzu raised her palms outward in a gesture of surrender. "Gosh. I was just a little surprised, that's all." Whenever Yuzu got flustered, she tended to ramble. "I, too, like a girl. I really, _really_ like her actually. Although she's not an angel. Far from it. Nothing angelic about her. Nope."

Sara giggled. "Oh, you have a thing for bad girls, Yuzu-chan?"

Yuzu thought for a moment, her brows furrowing. "No, not necessarily. I wouldn't call her a 'bad girl,' although she and I, we probably shouldn't be together, per se. It's just." The blonde sighed heavily. "Our parents, her family, our friends, wouldn't really approve, you know? Actually, just society as a whole."

"Ah, it's a forbidden love, then?" Sara asked with a tilt of her head.

Yuzu dragged a hand down her face. "Something like that." She paused before continuing, "But really, it's not like there's a chance of us ending up together."

"You can't say that! Yuzu-chan, if you love this girl, you have to fight for her!"

"Oh, I can absolutely say that there's no chance for us. We were mated at one point. But then shortly after— she broke our bond."

Sara's eyes widened and her mouth fell. She was rendered speechless for a long moment before she whispered, "That's abominable."

Yuzu forced a smile. Shrugging, she said, "Sometimes life just deals you a shitty hand. It's okay, it was a while ago. It just sucks because I still see her a lot."

Sara was almost wincing as she listened to Yuzu talk about the absolute worst thing that can happen to an omega. _An alpha breaking a mate bond? That shit will fuck up an omega big time. Whoever did that to dear Yuzu-chan must be a monster. I hope I never come across an alpha as heartless as that._

"But enough about me and my sob story. So, this girl you like. Tell me about her," Yuzu urged.

Relieved at the change of topic, Sara gushed. "Well, she's absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous."

"Okay, you already told me she's a hottie. And?"

"Apparently lots of people are after her," Sara added with a shrug. "She's hard to get."

"But you're not gonna let that stop you, are you?" It was a rhetorical question.

"Hell no. I'll fight for her." Conviction weighing on her voice, Sara said, "She's my destiny, Yuzu-chan."

"Wait, have you even talked to this girl?"

Sara gave a short shake of her head. "No. Not yet. But I will, soon."

"So how do you know that she's your destiny?" Yuzu asked, incredulous.

"When it comes to things like fate, or destiny, you can't analyze it like science. There's no logical explanation I can give you. It just is."

"Right," Yuzu agreed, deadpan. Needless to say, she wasn't totally convinced, but who was she to argue with Sara's beliefs? Everyone has that _thing_ that let them sleep at night.

Continuing with their tour, they went to the school clinic, where Yuzu introduced Sara to the nurse, whom the blonde promptly threw shade at after they left. "I went to the clinic thinking I was sick, but it turned out I was going into abnormal heat, and she didn't even _notice_. Can you believe?"

"No!" Sara gasped, hand on her chest.

"Yes," Yuzu answered with enough dramatic flair to demonstrate why she had a leading role in their class play.

"That's awful! I'm lucky that so far, I've been pretty regular with my heats. Every twelve weeks, like clockwork. I have my heat days marked on my calendar for the next three years, so several days before I'm due, I can already talk to my teachers about missing those days in school."

Yuzu was impressed at the girl's organization. Clearly, Sara had her shit together whereas she was lucky if she could keep track of what day it was. "Wow, you're so organized, Sara. That's next level."

"Oh, there's an app that can track your heat schedule for you! Here, let me show you."

When Sara pulled out her cell, Yuzu squealed in delight when she saw the limited-edition, super exclusive Yuzubocchi figure attached to the phone strap. With no hesitation, Sara removed the charm and offered it to the blonde, who at first refused to accept the gift. Eventually she took it, after promising to give Sara another Yuzubocchi figure, so they would have matching phone charms.

Grinning at her new friend, Yuzu patiently looked at all of Sara's recommended apps. After that, they added each other on LINE with a shake of their phones, cementing their new BFF status.

Both omegas felt lucky to have found a kindred soul in each other.

* * *

Mei was in a toilet stall, her hand reaching for the sliding lock on the metal door when she heard two female voices from the sink area. Always hyper conscious about people talking about Yuzu, her ears pricked up when she heard the word _omega._

"Did you see the new omega?"

"Yeah. Short, long silver hair, right?"

Relieved, Mei realized that they were talking about the transfer student who started today.

"Right. Ugh. She's got those big anime-worthy eyes, super sweet personality, and all prim and proper. I bet she'll have alphas all over her ass for like the next month or so. "

"Don't you know it. But not all alphas. Not Aihara Mei, for one."

"Yeah, she's too classy for that. God. What a fox." There was a moan, like when someone was eating a delicious dessert.

Mei grimaced. Now she really couldn't step out of the stall until these two girls leave, because that would just be awkward. Mei was well aware that a large portion of the Aihara Academy student body had a crush on her, but she tried to ignore it as much as possible.

"Oh, but hey, remember when the president was _mated_ to that blond omega in 3-A for like a hot minute?" The speaker sounded scandalized.

"Oh my god yeah!" A squeal. "Her name's Yuzu, right? That was super weird! Like I've never even seen them talking to each other. I heard that she blackmailed Aihara Mei to become her mate."

Mei's stomach roiled and her chest tightened. The rumors about Yuzu and their mate bond absolutely made her feel sick. Mostly because they were so far from the truth. Distantly, she felt her breathing become shallow as she continued to eavesdrop on the conversation, dread forming in her stomach like a heavy stone.

"That can't be true," the girl rejected out of hand. "So dumb. Was it Kana-chan who told you that? Don't believe a word she says."

"Fine, but it's not as far-fetched as the story that she threatened to kill herself if Aihara-san wouldn't become her mate."

There was a short chuckle, followed by the faucet being turned on. The conversation continued over the sound of hand washing and a hand dryer. Mei couldn't hear what they were saying until the dull roar of the high-powered blower died.

"….pretty dumb. Oh! I have tea about Aihara-san and Hashiri Nio."

"Nio? The alpha? What about her?"

"Aihara-san almost beat her up."

"Oh my god, almost _beat her up_? Why?"

"Because of that Yuzu! Nio was trying to mess with the omega, apparently, or something? And then Aihara-san basically slammed her against a wall and said that if any other alpha tried to put the moves on Yuzu, she would like, beat the ever-living shit out of them. It was wild. Aihara-san was practically feral. Nio was so scared she almost pissed herself."

Mei screwed her eyes shut and grit her teeth, fighting against the urge to speak out against this slander. Okay, yes, maybe she did lose her temper with Hashiri Nio – that snake – and maybe she did sort of kabe-don the shit out of that locker…but clearly, word got around and the story was greatly embellished.

 _Who spread these rumors though? Certainly not Nio herself. It goes against everything an alpha stands for, to tell people that she almost got her ass kicked by another alpha._ _That means someone must have seen us that day, in the locker area. Who?_

"Hold up. So Aihara Mei and Yuzu… are a real thing? What's going on with that. I don't understand."

"I know, sis. It's weird. It's like, the president could have literally any omega or beta she wants. So why would she…."

"With a ditzy gyaru like Yuzu?"

Panic, embarrassment, shame, anger, and righteous indignation swirled in Mei's gut, her head spinning with conflicting emotions and contradictory thoughts.

 _Don't let them talk shit about Yuzu!_

 _No, don't say anything. My reputation is already totally ruined. I need to fix it, not make it worse._

 _But I love her. I love Yuzu so, so much. I can't bear to be separated from her again. No one in this whole school can begin to imagine what she means to me. I won't let anything come between us again. I won't survive it._

 _No, Himeko is right. I'm losing it. I have to end this thing between us. Before it causes more damage and heartbreak for both of us._

 _I'm going to find whoever started these rumors and tear them a new one._

Mei heard the restroom door swing open and close, and the room was finally silent. She opened the door to the bathroom stall and walked to the sinks to wash her hands, her legs feeling like lead.

Her own embarrassment and dread at hearing people talking about her and Yuzu highlighted just how much she cared about her reputation, and this drive, this need, to appear perfect. To live up to people's expectations for someone in her position. It was completely unrealistic of course, and she hated it.

For someone who was at the apex of the school's social pyramid, at the top of the food chain… she felt trapped. Like a cornered rat. Like a prisoner.

It might be a gilded cage, but it boxed her in all the same. She was born into this prison, but it was her own choice to stay.

Beyond these prison bars was Yuzu. Her beautiful, effervescent stepsister. She was light, love, and freedom.

Mei screwed her eyes shut and pressed the heels of her palms to her forehead. She counted to ten, methodically quieting her turmoil, like turning down a dial until the volume was a soft murmur. She rolled her shoulders back and walked out of the bathroom, ready to be the Aihara golden girl once more.

* * *

Yuzu walked into their room when it was time for bed. This was the second night in a row that she had left Mei alone after school, not bothering the younger girl while she did her homework. She hung out at Harumi's house for a few hours after school and when she got home, stayed out in the living room to watch TV and flip through some magazines.

After changing into her sleep clothes, she sat on the edge of the bed and stared at Mei. She always liked watching the other girl study. Yuzu drank in the sight of Mei sitting at her desk, face set in concentration as she wrote in her notebook. Even in repose, the alpha's presence was commanding, and it was comforting to Yuzu. The fact that Mei was here, in their shared room, doing her thing, and that when they turn off the lights she'll be lying beside her – it filled her with relief.

It felt safe and sound. She should be grateful that she could have this. It should be enough.

She shouldn't want to cross the room and wrap her arms around the alpha and coax her to bed.

She shouldn't want to bury her face in Mei's neck and breathe in her winter scent, like she so desperately wanted after a day of being apart.

She shouldn't cover the alpha's face in tiny kisses, starting from one cheek, then over her nose, then to the other cheek, and down to her chin, until finally, her soft lips.

She would _not_.

"Mei," she said softly, not rising from the bed. "It's time for bed, yeah? You can't just keep going until the wee hours of the morning, you know that."

The alpha hastily scribbled in her notebook for a few more seconds before closing it and turning her head to look at the omega. "I know. I'm just trying to catch up with some work. I had an unexpected meeting come up yesterday, and I wasn't able to get as much done last night."

Yuzu nodded, slipping under the blanket. "The Student Council getting pretty busy with the culture festival?"

"Yes, quite," Mei replied as she packed her bookbag. "The Hanabusa Corporation is going to be a sponsor for the festival, so that's exciting, but it's going to take a lot of work to coordinate because it's the first time that we have sponsors from such a big company."

"Oh wow, that's a pretty big deal. The Hanabusa Corporation is loaded. I'm sure they can afford to throw some money at a high school event."

Mei walked to the bed and sat on her side. "I'm sure that decision has something to do with the fact that the family scion is enrolled in Aihara Academy."

Yuzu tilted her head and thought for a second. "Oh, you mean Hanabusa Sumireko?"

"Yes," Mei confirmed as she slipped under the covers. "I have to meet with her again tomorrow to draft a budget, and I think she'll actually be bringing someone from the company who works with their financials. So I'll be home pretty late."

Mei pulled the cord on the lamp on her side of the bed, plunging the room in darkness.

Guilt gnawed at Yuzu but she pushed it down. She had to see this through. It would get easier. It had to.

"Oh?" Yuzu said softly. "What time do you think you'll be home?"

Mei's sigh floated up into the darkness of the room. "Around 10pm, I imagine. Hanabusa-san invited me to a company dinner function where she wants to introduce me to some of their board members. I'd rather chew glass, but I can't really say no, and I suppose it's time I started networking for the Academy. I need to get a head start on that." There was a pause before she continued, "For when I become chairwoman."

 _10pm gives me plenty of time to go out with Isuke and be back before she gets home. She won't even know._

Yuzu turned on her side so that she was facing Mei. It was too dark to see Mei's face, but even just her silhouette comforted the omega. She liked that the last thing she saw before closing her eyes was Mei.

The two girls laid on their own respective corners of the queen-size bed, and for Yuzu, the space between them felt incredibly far. Even farther than yesterday, when they also slept separately.

Yuzu felt like she was looking at her stepsister on the opposite side of a train platform, and between was a deep, shadowy trough that one shouldn't try to cross unless they had a death wish.

She wanted to move across the bed, traverse that terrible distance, and press up against her. So that she could fall asleep with the alpha's arms wrapped around her.

But Mei didn't move. Didn't reach for her. Just like last night.

"Good night, Mei." She rolled onto her back and closed her eyes.

"Good night, Yuzu."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Thoughts?

Thanks to everyone who commented! Appreciate it. It was slow going, but I think I'm finally back on my game with this story (in terms of being able to write chapters), so I'm hopeful updates will be more regular. My next update will be the Sorority AU though.


	19. Question and Answer

**Warning: Hey there, if you've been following this story and you're one of those people who are incensed that Yuzu is dating Isuke and Haruki – you should definitely NOPE out of this fanfic. Click the back button if you think reading about this will gross you out, aggravate you, make you want to slut-shame, etc.**

 **You can read the many awesome Citrus fics out there where Yuzu is a paragon of virginity and chastity, but this one isn't it.**

 **If you want to read a different Citrus fantasy AU, check out the new Harry Potter AU called "The one where Yuzu goes to Hogwarts," by my buddy NovaZeroZero. Pretty sure Yuzu is only interested in Mei in that one, so you should be safe!**

* * *

This was the fanciest restaurant Yuzu had ever been to.

The wait staff was dressed in black tie, lighting was dim, and a string quartet serenaded the patrons of the 5-star restaurant.

She and Isuke were seated by the window, giving them a majestic view of the Tokyo nightscape. Leaning towards the glass, Yuzu could see the city below them, full of tiny twinkling lights in a rainbow of colors. Towering skyscrapers soared around them, their windows lit from within. A waning crescent moon hung over the luminescent skyline.

On their table was a pristine white tablecloth, two tall candlesticks, more forks than she knew what for, and Kobe beef on her plate.

She was on a real, honest to goodness _date._

A smile tugged on Yuzu's lips as she carefully sliced her medium-rare steak with a knife and fork. She brought a piece of steak to her mouth, and made a small noise of pleasure. It tasted like heaven on her palate.

This was the nicest date she had ever been on. Not that she's had many dates.

Mei had never taken her out on a date, for example, despite the fact that they had been _mated._

Yuzu frowned at the stray thought that meandered through her mind. Why did she have to think about maddening things like that, at a time like this? Why did thoughts of Mei have to intrude on her romantic dinner?

She glanced up at her date, feeling a little guilty about thinking about her ex.

Inukai Isuke was staring at her from across the table, and it took her breath away. Her amber eyes reflected the candle flame, making them gleam like crucibles of burning gold. The contrast with her smoky eye makeup only enhanced the effect. Loose ringlets rested against high cheekbones and the tips dusted her exposed collarbone. Her flawless fair skin made her look like she was carved from marble.

Isuke had an unreadable expression on her face as they looked at each other. Tendrils of anxiety snaked into Yuzu's stomach at the ridiculous notion that Isuke somehow knew that she was thinking about another alpha.

Yuzu was about to open her mouth to compliment the restaurant, the food, or the ambience, when Isuke beat her to it.

"I can't believe that you're finally here with me." Isuke twirled the stem of her wine glass between her fingers. "I've waited a really long time for this." Her voice was low and seductive, and it felt like a fingertip tracing the length of Yuzu's spine.

Yuzu's brain blanked out. In lieu of a reply, she inhaled sharply. A warm, sweet scent entered her nostrils. It pricked at her senses, and while the smell was subtle, her omega recognized it immediately. It was Isuke's alpha scent.

The alpha reached across the table with her free hand and touched her fingertips to the back of Yuzu's hand. The touch was gentle and barely there, but fire licked across Yuzu's skin from the contact.

"You're so beautiful," Isuke continued. "Absolutely breathtaking."

Yuzu coughed lightly to clear her throat. She wasn't used to such compliments, especially from a total knockout like Inukai Isuke. She should be the one complimenting the alpha! But it was getting hard to think when Isuke's scent was coiling around her brain.

Isuke smelled like ripe strawberries and melting sugar. Scorching hot, sweetness that could burn, the height of summer. She tried to ignore the ball of heat coiling low in her belly and shooting down to throb in her center.

 _Quick, think!_

"No, _you're_ beautiful!" Yuzu countered, her voice rising with each word. "You're like, drop dead gorgeous!"

A small smile appeared on Isuke's face, the alpha clearly amused at her random outburst. Quite the contrast from how the alpha smoothly delivered her lines.

 _Ugh. I have no game._ Yuzu deflated, her shoulders slumping a little, her eyes casting downward. That's when her gaze fell on the plunge of pale cleavage of Isuke's _very_ ample chest.

Yuzu knew she shouldn't be staring at the alpha's rack so blatantly, but it was like she couldn't look away! For real, this décolletage should be illegal on girls as endowed as Isuke.

How would it feel like to stick her face between those delectable breasts…

 _Arrgh! Stop it, brain!_ Yuzu's eyes slipped shut in frustration.

When she opened her eyes a second later, Isuke arched an elegant eyebrow, a small smirk curling over the side of her face. Her fingers started to brush Yuzu's knuckles.

"Well, you're so gorgeous that I won't be able to stop myself from kissing you," Isuke purred from across the table.

Isuke's silken voice caressed Yuzu's senses. On instinct, she turned her hand over on top of the table, exposing the inside of her wrist to the alpha. Immediately Isuke started stroking the scent gland there with her fingertips, and omega pheromones wafted into the air between them.

"Is that okay?" Isuke prompted, a teasing lilt to her voice. Her smile sharpened, and Yuzu's pulse jumped in response.

There was nothing but wicked intentions in the alpha's eyes, and Yuzu knew Isuke was giving her one last chance to walk away.

"That," Yuzu breathed, "is very okay."

* * *

It was mostly dark in the backseat of Isuke's car, as only the faintest wash of moonlight could filter through the darkly-tinted windows.

The car was technically Isuke's parents' car, loaned for her date with Yuzu. But these details didn't concern Yuzu right now.

Isuke leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses along her neck was all she could concentrate on at the moment as she sat sideways on the alpha's lap.

"You smell so good," Isuke whispered, her breath hot against her neck. At the juncture of her neck and shoulder, the alpha sank her teeth lightly into the skin. It wasn't a claiming gesture, but a searing bolt of pleasure shot down her spine and straight to her core, where it settled into a distinct _ache_. Yuzu's head tilted back as her mouth fell open in a gasp.

"And you taste even better. That restaurant didn't have anything on the desert menu that's as sweet as you."

The alpha's words came like liquor. It was like pure, undiluted desire being poured into her ear, pooling in the cradle of her hips. She squirmed in Isuke's lap, squeezing her thighs together and shifting her hips side to side, in an effort to ease the ache between her legs.

In the dark, Yuzu dipped her head towards Isuke's, seeking her lips to engage them in a kiss. Soft, warm lips pressed on her own, and a tongue slipped in languidly. Slow and almost lazily, like a sated lioness toying with its prey.

Isuke tasted like she smelled. Sweet and succulent, summer berries freshly picked from the vine. Yuzu moaned into the alpha's mouth, the kiss heating up as she tried to get more of the intoxicating flavor.

The scent of alpha arousal was filling the small space of the backseat.

As the scent of thickened, she could now also smell _Haruki._ Which made sense – Isuke and Haruki were mated, so of course they scented each other. With Isuke's mouth moving against her own, she could pick out the distinct scent of her alpha girlfriend— leather and sandalwood.

The contrast between their scents was tantalizing. Haruki had a slightly masculine musk, while Isuke was overt female sexuality. Haruki was an autumn campfire in the outdoors, woodsmoke curling into a canopy of stars; Isuke was sex on the beach on a hot summer night.

Combined, the scent was a smoky sweetness like burning maples. It was drowning Yuzu's mind in a deluge of pleasure.

The dull pounding between her legs was growing with each wet stroke of the Isuke's tongue over hers. She shifted in Isuke's lap again as the kissing continued.

The shifting brought Isuke's attention to the lower part of her body. She felt the alpha's hands on her hips, then her thighs, stroking them through the tight material of her dress. Yuzu's heart beat wildly in her chest when Isuke's fingers slipped under the hem of her skirt. Fingers that were getting so close to the molten ball of heat between her legs.

Isuke's palms slowly slid up her thighs. Yuzu shivered in anticipation. Pulses of arousal was hammering against her clit, and she needed the alpha to soothe this maddening ache. _So, so close._

When the tips of her fingers reached the lace edge of her panties, Yuzu fully expected the alpha to tug them off. She even slightly lifted her hips off Isuke's lap to aid in the removal of her panties, her center clenching in unattended lust.

But Isuke's hands stilled, caught under her skirt.

"Is something wrong?" Yuzu whispered.

Isuke released a slow breath, as if she was restraining herself. "Nothing's wrong. I think you know where this is going. Once I take these off, I'm not going to stop until you come on my face."

A vision of Isuke's head between her legs, tongue fluttering against her wet folds, was so erotic that Yuzu almost moaned. _Oh yes have your wicked way with me, please._

"But first I need to know your answer to the question we've asked you weeks ago. Yuzu-chan, will you be our mate?"

Everything for Yuzu screeched to a halt, even the breath in her lungs got trapped in her chest.

Isuke's voice was gentle, but it carried the reverb of an alpha compelling an answer. She felt the pull in a deep part of her brain. She _had_ to give an answer.

Haruki had asked her the same question a couple of days ago, and she had said that she would think about it. Putting it off any longer wasn't being fair to the two alphas, or to herself.

Her mind whirled. She had already spent so much time mulling this over and over, trying to wrestle her heart and brain into a definite decision.

Her omega preened at the idea of two strong, powerful, beautiful alphas to take care of her. Two alphas who had showed her that they would care and cherish her. She obviously couldn't see into the future, but she trusted her gut feeling that said Sagae Haruki and Inukai Isuke would be excellent mates. They would be true to her. They would satisfy all her needs. They would never break a mate bond. They were the kind who would mate for life.

It was now or never. Yuzu opened her mouth and let whatever answer fall out of her mouth, from instinct alone.

"I'm sorry, but I can't be your mate."

Isuke gasped.

Anyone peeking into the back of the car would have witnessed a bizarre tableau. Yuzu sitting sideways on Isuke's lap, with the alpha's hands up her skirt. Both of them not moving from shock, processing the words that fell from Yuzu's mouth.

"I see." Isuke slowly withdrew her hands from Yuzu's lap.

Yuzu's brain came back online when the older girl spoke. When she realized what she had said, the answer she gave – she suddenly felt afraid.

She had rejected an alpha's offer for a mate bond. A hot trickle of fear snaked through her stomach. _Oh no._ She was going to get it now. She was going to get hurt. The alpha was going to get angry at her, and rightfully so. She had been playing with fire, stringing them along, when she couldn't say yes in the end. Isuke and Haruki – they were going to hurt her. Even if she survived this night, their pack, they would come after her and hurt her too.

"Yuzu?" Isuke's voice was full of alarm. "What's wrong? Your scent – I can smell your distress."

Wrapping her arms around herself, Yuzu curled her body inward. "Just make it quick, please," she whimpered.

"Make _what_ quick?"

"You're going to hurt me."

Isuke's hands came up to grip her shoulders. "What are you talking about? Why would I hurt you?"

"Because I said no! Because I went on dates with you and Haruki, and here we are messing around." Yuzu's breath hitched in her throat, a dry sob trying to bubble out. "But in the end I just said no, and you're going to get so mad, because I led you on, and you're going to…"

"Okay, shhhh." Isuke pressed her fingers to Yuzu's mouth. "Calm down, omega. Nobody's going to hurt you."

Isuke wrapped an arm around Yuzu and gently brought the blonde's head to lay against her shoulder.

Yuzu buried her face in the crook of Isuke's neck and choked back another dry, fearful sob.

Isuke rubbed the omega's back and murmured gentle reassurances against her hair. "You're okay. I'm not angry. Haruki won't be angry. You're okay."

They sat like that for a while, Yuzu wrapped in the alpha's embrace as she calmed her thundering heart.

"I really am sorry," Yuzu whispered. "Anyone would say I'm an idiot for refusing you, because the both of you are just so cool and beautiful and strong…but I just can't. I don't know if it's because I'm not ready to be mated to two people, or if…if I'm just still so messed up by Mei breaking our mate bond…" With strangled groan, she pressed her forehead on Isuke's shoulder.

Isuke didn't respond, and simply stroked the blonde hair spilling across her shoulder.

"I want to move on, but it's like I've been _branded,"_ Yuzu continued, frustration now creeping into her voice. "Even now, months after our mate bond has been broken, I still feel like it's a part of me. Like I'm inextricably linked to her."

"It's not unheard of, Yuzu. The mate bite Aihara gave you must have been incredibly potent. It happens when the alpha is exceptionally strong, or if the alpha wanted to be mated with that person more than anything."

 _Well which one is it? Mei is a top alpha after all. Or could it be that she really wanted to be my mate? That's ridiculous though…._

"Or it could be both," Isuke surmised.

Yuzu slowly sat up from lying on Isuke's chest. Swathed in a beam of moonlight, she turned to look at the alpha. "Am I always going to be like this? I'm just going to be this broken thing, where I can't even be mated to anyone else?"

Isuke reached up and brushed a lock of blond hair that had fallen across Yuzu's face, and tucked it behind her ear. "You're not broken, Yuzu-chan. And no one is saying you need to be mated to anyone right _now_. Maybe it's just going to take some time. A few more weeks, months, maybe years." A sympathetic smile tugged on her lips as she lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "But in the meantime, don't worry that you rejected me and Haruki. I mean, we gave it our best shot. But you don't want to, and that's fair. We won't hold it against you."

"Thank you for understanding. I was worried that you would take it really badly. Like, rage out and attack me or something."

Isuke laughed. "What did you take us for, Yuzu? I mean, yes, we are pack alphas, but we're not animals who have no self-control. It's not like we would ever think of claiming you without your consent. I mean, who does that?"

 _Who does, indeed?_ Unbidden, an image of Mei giving her a mate bite rose to the front of her mind, and her throat became tight. Her stepsister claimed her without prior consent.

Sensing Yuzu's plummeting mood, Isuke suggested they get out of the car.

Yuzu eagerly agreed, as it was much easier to talk when she didn't have to choke on the smell of a very sexy, very beautiful, very aroused alpha.

Sitting on the hood of the Lexus that was parked by the riverfront, they continued to talk as they watched boats drift past.

After a little while, Isuke laid her hand on Yuzu's arm. "You look like you're getting tired. Do you want me to take you home?"

"Yes, please."

* * *

Hanabusa Sumireko was sitting at a banquet table texting her girlfriend Mahiru when an alarm popped up on her phone. The alarm read **_take Aihara home_**. She fired off a text telling her girlfriend that she had to go right now, but will come to see her once she took care of something.

After quickly surveying the elegant banquet hall, Sumireko spotted Mei chatting with several board members of the Hanabusa Corporation.

"Excuse me gentlemen, but I'm afraid I have to steal Aihara-san for a moment," Sumireko cut in with a polite smile to the men who sat on the board of the company that she would one day inherit.

Mei followed the alpha towards the entrance of the banquet hall.

Sumireko turned to her fellow heiress and gave an apologetic smile. "I hope you don't mind, but we need to leave soon. I know it's about an hour earlier than I told you the dinner party would end, but unfortunately I don't feel well and I'd like to go home as soon as possible."

"I don't mind at all," Mei replied with relief. She was only here because it was good networking opportunity for Aihara Academy, but she did not enjoy having to rub elbows with these people _at all_. "We can leave right now. Let me grab my coat."

Finally. She was finally done with this painful social obligation. She could go home and see Yuzu. Checking her watch, she noted that Sumireko would be dropping her off by 9pm or so. She saw herself returning to the apartment, and Yuzu would be watching TV or playing video games, no doubt waiting for her to come home.

For the first time that whole evening, a small, but genuinely happy smile appeared on Mei's face.

x

* * *

"And I had to pretend I've never heard of _Momoiro Sisters_ before!" Yuzu delivered the punchline to her story with a giggle, giving a sideways glance to Isuke who was in the driver's seat.

Not taking her eyes off the road as she eased the car off the highway onto Yuzu's exit, Isuke laughed, a high silver trill. She added, "Little did they know you owned all the manga and had completed the games."

It was such a relief, and a small miracle, that she and Isuke were just talking and laughing like this. After they had an honest conversation, they cleared the air between them. Now that Isuke wasn't a romantic possibility, Yuzu could even see them becoming actual _friends._

 _Isuke is a cool girl to hang out with, and she's really interesting. Guess I was too distracted by wanting to jump her bones to see it before._

The car rolled to a stop, snapping Yuzu out of her thoughts. They were in the circular driveway in front of her apartment building, where cars could pick up and drop off.

Isuke threw the car into park and turned to her, a wry smile on her lips. "I expected a different ending to this night when we began our date, but this is honestly okay. If I see you tomorrow at school, don't be a stranger."

Yuzu gave Isuke's shoulder a gentle slap. "I wouldn't dream of it! In fact, I'm going to find you and Haruki-chan tomorrow during lunch and be annoying, just to show you how much I'm _not_ a stranger.

Isuke's smile widened. "Goodnight, Yuzu-chan."

"Oh no you don't," Yuzu playfully scolded. "You're not out getting out of this "friend date" without giving me a proper hug. Come on, get out of the car."

The alpha chuckled but readily acquiesced to the blonde's demand for a hug. She got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side.

With a beaming smile, Yuzu held up her arms towards Isuke as the alpha stepped onto the sidewalk where she was standing. Even though she was wearing her tallest heels, Isuke stood much taller than her. When they hugged, only half of Yuzu's head reached over Isuke's shoulder.

Yuzu was about to comment that Isuke gave really nice hugs, when a very _long_ vehicle rolled through her peripheral vision. A limousine pulled up in front of Isuke's car.

Watching the passenger side door of the car open, Yuzu mumbled against Isuke's

shoulder, "Oh wow, check it out, it's an actual limo– Mei?!"

Yuzu felt the bottom of her stomach drop away. The person who stepped out of the limousine was none other than her stepsister.

Yuzu's heart was beating a sharp staccato against the front of her chest as she watched Mei say her goodbye to the person in the back of the car. Her grip around Isuke tightened on reflex, as if she could use the alpha as a place to hide. "Ohmygodohmygod what is Mei doing here? She wasn't supposed to be back until later!"

"Eh?" Isuke turned her head to look behind her. "Oh, shoot. I totally forgot about that…"

"What?" Yuzu squeaked. "Forgot about what?"

Isuke gave a short hum. "So, long story short, my pack made sure all the bases were covered when Haruki and I took you on dates. Like making sure all your alpha guard dogs are distracted and occupied…"

"Okay first of all, they're not alpha guard dogs, Matsuri and Shirapon are my _friends_ ," Yuzu hissed, her eyes still trained on her stepsister who gave a short wave to the person in the car.

"And Sumi was in charge of getting Aihara Mei here in time to see you and I come back from our date. To let her see that you're with us now."

"Why would you do that?!" Yuzu didn't mean to say it so loudly, but she was in shock at the sheer idiocy of it all. "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard! Have you _met_ my stepsister? She'll kill us both!"

At her outburst, Mei's head snapped towards their direction. Yuzu's eyes widened when she realized that Mei was looking their way, and she started backing away.

"Look, I'm sorry," Isuke sighed as she let Yuzu tug her forwards, still locked in their embrace. The alpha continued earnestly, "We were having a heart to heart talk and it slipped my mind. I would have texted Sumi to call it off, had I remembered."

Yuzu could only whimper in response. Mei was walking towards them, and Yuzu braced herself for impact.

For the second time that night, waves of omega distress hormones rolled off of Yuzu. The scent invaded Isuke's nose, rousing her alpha instinct to protect the omega. Giving the blonde a squeeze, she murmured against Yuzu's temple, "Hey, you're okay. I've got you. Don't worry about it."

Isuke caught the whiff of bitter pheromones, the scent of an agitated alpha. It caused her to stand up straighter, instinctively bracing against an altercation with Yuzu's ex. "I'm going to tell Aihara Mei to chill the fuck out."

Yuzu couldn't think of a worse situation than the one she found herself in now. Caught between two of the most strong-willed and territorial alphas she knew.

"Yuzu," Mei's voice was tight and deliberate, like she was holding the pin to a bomb. "What are you doing out here?"

Taking a deep breath, Yuzu lowered her arms around Isuke, allowing the alpha to turn around and face Mei. It also revealed her outfit to her stepsister, which was without a doubt, what one would wear on a date. "Um, I was just saying goodnight."

Her stepsister didn't say anything. Mei simply stared at the two of them with a venomous glare. Her gaze burned on Yuzu's skin as she raked her eyes up and down her form. A wave of angry Alpha pheromones, cold and bracing like an arctic wind, washed over her.

The smell made Yuzu's knees weak.

Isuke huffed and curled her hands into fists, finding the stench of Mei's dominant hormones aggravating. Her saccharine voice was slow and controlled, laced with warning. "Look prez, I'm not trying to start shit. Yuzu and I spent some time together, and now I've brought her home. That's all. No need to get your panties in a bunch."

Mei's lips peeled back in a snarl. Her pupils were shrunken into pinpricks, swallowed up by twin shards of glittering amethyst. "Don't push me, Inukai. I'll wipe this sidewalk with your face."

Yuzu's eyes widened at Mei's unabashed aggression. Later, when they weren't on the verge of an alpha dogfight, she'll remember to tear into Mei for being _so goddamn insolent_. At the moment, her omega instinct was to prevent the tension from the two alphas into escalating further.

"Oh-KAY!" She darted in front of the raven-haired alpha. "Mei, please. This is not what it looks like. We had dinner together, and then we talked about stuff...I'll tell you all about it later, I promise."

"She's telling the truth," Isuke said through gritted teeth. It was clear that she was trying very hard to stand down and not launch into the offensive. "So why don't you put your fangs away and relax, Aihara. You're upsetting her."

Yuzu turned back to the pink-haired alpha and shot her a grateful look.

"So you mean to tell me that this little private time of your is completely innocent, that you didn't conspire to keep this from me?"

Yuzu swallowed, her throat bobbing. "I mean—"

"Ugh, okay fine." Isuke rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "My pack made sure that Haruki and I could go on dates with Yuzu without interruptions. Sumi brought you home in time to see me and Yuzu together, just to mess with you. But it's fine now. She doesn't want to be our mates." Grudgingly, she concluded, "So you win."

Mei's eyes narrowed.

"What did you just say?" Mei asked slowly, quietly. "You _and_ Haruki? Her _mates_?"

Yuzu felt her insides tremble. _Oh, no._

A storm was brewing in Mei's expression, and Yuzu could practically feel the alpha's emotions roiling like darkening clouds.

Before the pink-haired alpha could reply and make things worse, before the lid on Mei's fury could pop off and then be unleashed with gale-force winds, Yuzu stepped forward and pressed herself against her stepsister. Surrounding her with soothing omega pheromones, she snaked one arm around the alpha's waist, and cradled the back of her head with the other hand.

She murmured coaxingly in Mei's ear, "Baby, it's nothing. It's all just a misunderstanding. I'm not mating with anybody. I'm right here. I'll explain it all when we get inside, I promise."

At first Mei jerked when Yuzu wrapped her arms around her, an instinctive recoil from seeing her with another alpha just moments before. But then the Yuzu rubbed her thumb against her nape as another gush of sweet, calming omega pheromones filled her nose. Mei sank into Yuzu like she was water.

Arms still crossed, Isuke stood to the side and watched the tsunami recede in Aihara Mei's eyes, her pupils returning to their normal size as Yuzu continued to nuzzle the side of her face, whispering placating words and reassurances.

It was always fascinating to watch an omega soothe an ornery alpha, using all the tools at her disposal – her scent, her touch, her voice. It was like watching a lion tamer. And it was clear that this particular alpha – untouchable, indomitable Aihara Mei – was practically a kitten in the hands of the blonde omega.

A smirk crawled over Isuke's mouth. _Someone's pussy whipped._

"All right," Isuke gave a toss of her long pink hair. "I'll be going then. You two work it out."

Mei's gaze sharpened as she focused on Isuke. She didn't respond, simply watching the other alpha with narrowed eyes over Yuzu's shoulder.

"Have a good night night, Isuke-san." Yuzu twisted around to look at the departing girl, but not letting the alpha in her arms go anywhere. The omega knew she had to keep holding on to the alpha lest she rage out like some kind of rabid animal. _This big baby._ "Thank you for everything."

Isuke placed her hand on her hip and canted her body to the side. "Don't mention it. I'll see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams, Yuzu-chan." She winked slowly at the omega.

A low, warning growl rumbled from Mei's throat.

"Stop it," Yuzu scolded the girl in her arms, but her voice lacked any real bite. She cupped Mei's cheek with one hand and turned her head to look at her. "You're being belligerent."

Isuke hopped into her Lexus and peeled out of the circular drive.

And just like that, a predicament that had been plaguing Yuzu for weeks resolved itself, more or less painlessly. She was torn about accepting their offer for a mate bond, but she really didn't expect Haruki and Isuke to deal with a rejection so graciously.

Yuzu was roused from her musing by Mei throwing off her hold. The alpha stalked off towards the entrance doors of the apartment building, leaving her alone by the curb.

Yuzu sighed and followed in Mei's steps. _One alpha problem solved. One to go._

By the time the elevator door opened to their floor, Yuzu had steeled herself for a confrontation with Mei. She may have stopped Mei from losing her shit in a jealous rage, but she knew that her stepsister wasn't actually placated. Oh no. She was sure that they were going to have _words._

A weariness overcame Yuzu. She was honestly so tired with all this drama. When did her life become so complicated?

 _Oh right, it's when I presented as an omega._

 _And then my alpha stepsister gave me a mate bite._

 _And then decided to break the bond the next day._

Before her mood could spiral even further along with her thoughts, she entered their apartment and sought out the alpha, not wanting to delay the inevitable.

She found Mei in their room, neatly folding the clothes she had changed out of.

Sitting at the edge of her side of the bed, Yuzu decided to just get it done and over with. "So I'm guessing you want to hear about what that was all about."

And so Yuzu told her. She started back at the time when she went into an abnormal heat, not going into details of what happened in the lit club room, because honestly that incident seemed like some kind of fever dream now. Yuzu talked about how Isuke and Haruki asked her to be their mate, and then gave her some time to think it over. And finally, how she gave her final answer to Isuke tonight.

Mei didn't interrupt her while she recounted the story, simply listening as she set about preparing her things for school tomorrow. When Yuzu finished, she remained silent, picking up books to place in her bag.

Yuzu sighed deeply, bone tired and mentally exhausted. She still had emotional whiplash from the rollercoaster that was her date with Isuke, and _then_ she had to soothe her alpha stepsister from hulking out. And now she had to rehash this whole sordid tale.

Yuzu was done. "Just say something already, Mei. Let's get this done and over with. I'm exhausted."

Mei slammed the book she was holding onto the top of her desk. "I'm not saying anything because I have nothing to say. You're a free person, as you have demonstrated, and you can do whatever you want."

Yuzu fought the urge to roll her eyes at the alpha's petulance. _Ugh, a pouting alpha is better than a ragebeast, I guess._

"Okay, Mei."

"Don't patronize me!" More book slamming.

"I'm not."

"I'm serious. You want to be mated to a couple of pack alphas? Be my guest. Don't let me stop you." Mei said, bitterness dripping from her voice.

Yuzu closed her eyes and massaged the bridge of her nose. "Mei, have you even been listening to anything I've said? I don't –"

"Have fun being the pack bicycle," Mei sneered.

Yuzu's mouth fell open before she said, "What the hell? How dare you!"

"Whatever," Mei muttered, looking away. "If you want to tell yourself that being mated to a pack alpha doesn't mean you'll become communal property to be passed around, go ahead."

Anger rose in Yuzu's chest. _The unmitigated gall of this bitch._ "Well you know what, at least _they_ won't force a mate bite on an omega!"

The unspoken words _unlike you_ hung in the air.

Mei's eyes widened as she stared at Yuzu in shock.

In dismay, Yuzu realized that she had cut Mei very deep. A deluge of emotions cascaded over her expression—anger, indignation, sadness, and mostly, a deep shame.

The alpha lowered her eyes. "You're right. They're pretty bad, but not as bad as me. I'm pretty terrible. You're better off with them, then." Her voice was dead and hollow, like the inside of a coffin. She turned away towards her bag.

Yuzu rose from the bed and wrapped her arms around Mei's waist from behind. Laying her forehead on the alpha's shoulder she said, "God, don't say that. You're not terrible. I'm sorry, Mei."

They stood like that for a while, locked in the tender tableau. Mei broke the silence when she said, "I'm sorry for losing my temper. Again. But I can't even explain to you how it makes me feel, you being with another alpha."

"You have to try, Mei. This can't keep happening. There are other alphas out there in the world, and I will keep interacting with them. You can't lose your mind each time I get close to one. Or two."

"I'm trying," Mei sighed. "But this was different. Isuke and Haruki – they wanted to _be_ with you."

"I know, I know," Yuzu said soothingly.

Mei moved out of Yuzu's embrace and went to finish packing her bag. Almost like an afterthought, she tossed out, "Like, how would you feel if you found out I was dating another omega?"

The idea of Mei with another omega, in a romantic sense, was so foreign to Yuzu that the question took her by surprise. At the moment, she simply had no frame of reference. Still, it probably sounded insensitive when she replied, "Why would I care?"

Mei's jaw clenched. She said nothing and zipped up her bag.

Yuzu's mouth twisted. Clearly, that was the wrong thing to say. "What I mean is, you can date whoever you want, Mei." She chuckled weakly. "You're a free woman, just like I am."

"I get it, Yuzu." Mei replied in a clipped tone. "Look, it's been a really long day. We need to go to sleep."

Yuzu wanted to argue, to clarify what she meant about the whole not-caring-if-she-was-dating-another-omega thing.

But it was difficult to parse her thoughts into a coherent argument. This came out of the blue, and she honestly had never considered it before. But it certainly felt disconcerting, now that she thought about it.

She was also very tired from everything. She didn't have the mental energy to process this hypothetical situation right now, especially when it was just a throwaway comment from Mei.

So Yuzu simply nodded and tiredly got ready for bed.

Yuzu fell asleep very shortly after her head hit the pillow. During that short moment before she slipped into sleep, the thought snaked its way into her thoughts. An image of Mei holding an omega in her arms flashed into her mind, and she felt a slight twinge in her heart.

* * *

 **Authors' Note** : Sorry for taking a million years to update this. I have so many writing projects and challenges going on... this is what happens when you're a multishipper in multiple fandoms with multiple multi-chapter fanfics. Oy vey.

Oh yeah, Ja55 said that she'll update her fic My Home when I update this. Well here you go, waiting on you Bes XD

Thoughts?


	20. Mmm Watcha Say

"You're mine." Yuzu husked in her ear, followed by a gentle nibble on the lobe.

Mei shivered at Yuzu's honeyed words and teeth grazing the shell of her ear. Yuzu was perched sideways on her lap, the blonde's arm draped around her shoulder.

Yuzu pressed gentle kisses on her neck, and Mei honestly felt like she could float away right now. She loved Yuzu kissing her neck. It felt so tender, so intimate, so _wonderful._ She would let no one else get close to her neck like this. Never have, never will. Only Yuzu, always Yuzu, her omega.

The blonde was inhaling against the scent gland on her neck, closing her eyes and getting her fill of her smell. Yuzu leaned forward and rubbed their necks together, their skin brushing against each other, and their combined scent swirled in the air.

Mei groaned happily. They were scenting. Yuzu was wearing her scent. Yuzu smelled like a bright spring day but with an arctic bite of winter. All these other goddamn alphas would smell her scent on her omega. There would be no question.

Inukai Isuke, that little shit…she'd love to wipe her smug look from her fucking face.

"Shhhhh," Yuzu was gently stroking the side of her face in an attempt to soothe her and quiet the low growling that was rumbling in her chest. Yuzu brushed her lips on hers as the growling started to taper just the slightest bit. "I don't want them. I don't want any other alpha."

Mei was laying on top of the omega, pinning her wrists above her head. She touched their foreheads together. Even to her own ears, her voice was petulant when she asked, "That's not what it seemed like."

"I'm yours, alpha," Yuzu purred, looking up at her through lidded eyes. "All yours."

Mei crashed their mouths together and she started kissing the omega. Yuzu moaned happily. Mei felt Yuzu's legs wrap around her hips, pulling them flush against each other.

Yuzu was standing in front of her. She pulled off her white flimsy nightgown in one smooth movement. It sailed out of sight, disappearing into the hazy ethereal light behind her. The omega wore nothing but a smile and a full-body blush. Her nipples were hard. Mei could see wetness glisten on her lower lips.

"This is all yours, alpha."

 _All for me. All mine._

 _Mine, mine, mine._

Luminescence gently pulsed around them. The source of the light was a mystery, but it draped Yuzu in a warm glow, like the early morning sunlight through a window. She looked like an angel.

Mei beckoned with her hand, or maybe even just her brain. The next instant, Yuzu was straddling her lap. The blonde wrapped her hands around her nape.

Yuzu had that beguiling smile on her lips, the smile that Mei knew in her heart was only for her.

She scattered kisses all over the omega's collarbone before trailing lower. She opened her mouth over Yuzu's nipple and gave it a few teasing flicks with her tongue, wetting the pebbled nub and sensitive areola with a sheen of saliva.

"Mmmph no teasing," Yuzu complained before pulling her head towards her breast. Mei acquiesced, sealing her lips around the nipple and drawing it into the heat of her mouth. Her ears rang with Yuzu's soft gasp.

Yuzu grabbed her hand and guided it between her legs. Her fingers met wetness, and she sighed in happiness. It made her alpha preen, feeling the effect she had on her omega. Wanting her. Ready for her. Wetly clinging to her fingers as she parted her lips. She slipped inside her with two fingers.

Yuzu moaned in a pleasure. She threw her head back and tilted it to the side, exposing the delicate column of her neck, the ultimate sign of submission.

With a groan, Mei latched onto her neck and started sucking a bruise on the pale, flawless skin. Yuzu's moans rose in pitch each time a new red mark was sucked into place. Mei followed each one with a lathe of her tongue, soothing the angry-looking bruises.

While she mouthed at Yuzu's neck, Mei didn't neglect the arousal between her legs. She pumped her fingers inside Yuzu languidly, letting the omega feel the silky drag of her fingers against her drenched walls. Yuzu was rolling her hips to meet her thrusts, whimpers falling from her mouth begging her to go faster. When Mei didn't instantly comply, Yuzu decided to take it upon herself started grinding her hips against her hand. The omega muttered something that sounded suspiciously like _fuck me like you mean it, alpha._

A smirk crawled over Mei's mouth as she raised her head to look at the omega. She curled her fingers inside Yuzu, dragging her fingertips against the slightly ridged patch there, at the same time stroked her clit with her thumb. Mei watched Yuzu's eyes roll to the back of her head. "Oh I mean it."

Mei's lowered her mouth to the spot below Yuzu's ear, the place where her mate bite used to be. She ran her tongue against the patch of skin, and she swore she could taste a trace of the mark she left there, a long time ago. A coppery tang rolled across her palate, and the smell of jasmine and citrus invaded her nose.

"Yes," Yuzu gasped. "I want it. Please, Mei – I want us to be mated."

Mei fought a sob that wanted bubble up from her chest. She pulled back and stared into Yuzu's eyes, twin oceans of green. "You do?"

Yuzu's hands gently cupped her face. "Of course. I want it more than anything else."

"Yuzu, I also –"

A mocking laugh rang out, shattering their perfect, tender moment.

Mei's head snapped up. The shadows parted and figures approached. She knew who they were before they came into the circle of light. The alpha pack.

She snarled when the light revealed Tokaku's face, followed closely by Haruki and Isuke. They were all smirking at her, derision apparent in the curl of their lips.

"A real alpha doesn't abandon an omega because they're chicken shit," Isuke sneered. "You disgust me."

A whole pack stared down at her, the way they carried their bodies telegraphing their intention to pounce. Their eyes were bright yellow with a catlike slant to the pupils. Their teeth were bared, canines threatening to descend. They were intended to take Yuzu away because they thought she was inadequate.

A hint of a growl started to churn in her throat. In her peripheral vision, more figures appeared.

More alphas.

It was Mizusawa Matsuri and Shiraho Suzuran.

"A real alpha doesn't cause their omega a shit ton of pain!" Matsuri spat. She gestured at Harumi who materialized at her side. "You see this? I'm better at caring for the people I love than you!"

Behind them, even more shadowy figures loomed. The circle around them started to close in. She clutched at the omega, and her mind spun, torn between keeping her at her side and fighting to the death –

Her eyes flew open. Mei woke with a jerk. Her heart was slamming against her ribs. There was a second where she still felt like she was falling, like tipping backwards on a chair.

Dragging a hand down her face, she noticed that her forehead, along with the rest of her body, was covered in a film of sweat. Snatches of the dream rose to the front of her mind, but the longer she lay there, the images dissipated like smoke. She was left with the lingering feeling of anxiety and unsatisfied arousal.

 _Waking up horny and anxious fucking sucks._

Discreetly, Mei slipped a hand down her sleep shorts, fully expecting what she would find there.

 _Awesome. I haven't had wet dreams since I first presented as an alpha._

Guiltily, Mei pulled her hand out of her shorts. She turned on her side to look at her stepsister who was still sound asleep. She fought the urge to reach out and touch her.

She shouldn't.

There were so many reasons why she shouldn't.

An image of shadowy, faceless alphas closing in flashed into her mind's eye.

 _Fuck it._

Mei slid across the bed and gathered Yuzu in an embrace, nuzzling the top of her head.

"Five minutes," Yuzu groaned into Mei's chest. Her arm snaked around the alpha's back, pulling her closer.

"You swore that you would wake up if we set the alarm at the absolute latest we could get away with," Mei murmured against Yuzu's crown as her fingers gently carded through golden locks.

Yuzu whined, "Please, Mei. I didn't sleep well. Weird dreams." She snuggled into the alpha and tightened her embrace.

Mei huffed. The omega knew how to play up the _I'm-so-pitiful_ game, and damn if she didn't fall for it each time. "I'm getting up now, but you better get up in exactly five minutes, okay?"

Yuzu responded with a pleased mewl and more nuzzling against her chest. "You're the best."

Through Yuzu's groan of protest, Mei regrettably untangled herself stepsister's arms and got up.

Mei was waiting for the kettle to boil when she decided to go through the stack of mail sitting on the kitchen counter. There were a couple of bills, a letter from her father, several store catalogues and fashion magazines addressed to Yuzu, and one official-looking envelope addressed to her.

She tucked her mail under her arm and went to the cabinet to retrieve the bottles of her vitamins and daily pill. After preparing a cup of matcha green tea and pouring a glass of water, she brought all her items to the dining room table and sat down.

Mei opened the medicine bottle of A-blockers and shook out a large red pill, which she swallowed with ease. After all, she had been taking these rut suppressants daily for more than two years, so she was used to swallowing the giant things.

Rut suppressants (generic name _inadrostenone_ ) blocked the normal alpha hormone cycle. They prevented alphas from experiencing a _rut_ , the intense drive to mate. Rut suppressants, when taken regularly, diminished the possibility of a rut, along with blocking the physiological changes that accompanied it. Clinical tests showed them to be 96% effective.

As she washed down her pill with a sip of water, Mei idly thought that it was essentially chemical castration. It was always a little disconcerting when she thought about how she was disrupting her biology with heavy-duty drugs.

 _But what's the alternative? Go into rut every five or six months?_ No way. Not when I'm living with an omega.

 _With whom I share a bed…_

 _And my ex-mate…_

 _And she's not on heat suppressants._

Mei sighed. She opened up the official-looking letter and took out the single sheet of paper.

It was the results of her most recent lab tests. All alphas were required to get bloodwork done at a registered laboratory every six months, per Aihara Academy policies. She had been getting these tests done since she was sixteen, when she presented as an alpha. She knew her average hormone levels by heart, and they always fell within the normal range for female alphas her age and height.

As Mei's eyes scanned through test results, her eyebrows knitted together.

"What's the matter Mei?" Yuzu walked into the kitchenette and started taking out their lunch boxes. "You're scowling." More gently, she added, "Are you reading the letter from Papa?"

"No," Mei murmured, still staring at the paper. "This can't be right. These numbers are way off."

"What numbers?"

Mei took a long moment to respond as she stared at the test results as if she could will the numbers to change. "It's nothing." She folded the paper back into the envelope. "Let's hurry up and get ready. We'll be late for school."

* * *

At the lockers in Aihara Academy, the Tachibana sisters were storing their outside shoes and looking over their class schedules.

Yuzu came over with a bright smile and gave them tips on how to find their classes.

"Thank you, Yuzu! You're a lifesaver," Sara said gratefully.

"No problem. Hey, you guys wanna join me and my friends for lunch? We'll be at one of the picnic tables behind the C-wing."

"Sure thing! I'll see you there," Sara replied, knowing that Nina was probably going to join her new friends.

Yuzu left with a wave and joined Harumi to walk to their classroom.

Sara was knotting Nina's necktie when the taller twin craned her neck towards the hallway. "Onee-san, is that…"

"Hmm? What is it Nina?" Sara smoothed down Nina's collar before turning to see what her sister was looking at.

Walking beside Momokino-san was the beautiful girl of Sara's dreams. Sara gasped. "It's her! This is fate."

Nina watched her older sister stare at the student council president longingly. "You really like her, don't you?"

"Uh, yeah," Sara said earnestly.

Most people would look at Nina and just dismiss her as an airhead, but she was in fact quite astute, especially when it came to her twin. She could see that Sara's level of thirst for this dark-haired beauty was unlike any that her dear onee-san had ever experienced. If Sara thought it was fate (and not just thirst), then it was fate. And Nina needed to give fate a little shove.

Nina grasped Sara by the shoulders and said very seriously, "Then shoot your shot, onee-san."

Eyes wide and twinkling with determination, Sara nodded.

* * *

Mei was deep in thought at one of the work desks in the Student Council Office when the door was thrown open with a bang, and in walked one angry Mizusawa Matsuri followed by an apologetic Shiraho Suzuran.

"I need to talk to the student council president!" Matsuri yelled into the room. Miyabi, a first-year council member, squeaked in surprise, and the pink-haired alpha glared at her pointedly. "Privately. So clear out!"

Mei stood. "You don't give the orders here, Mizusawa."

"Oh all right," Matsuri said with faux innocence. "I suppose they won't mind hearing about the activities and whereabouts of certain pack members last night."

Mei's jaw clenched. "Everyone leave. You can come back in twenty minutes."

Spurned by the alpha command that rang in Mei's voice, all four council members left the room post haste.

"Did you know about this whole fucking, _thing_ , with Inukai and Sagae asking Yuzu to be _their_ mate?" Matsuri's face twisted in anger.

"I found out last night," Mei responded in a tight voice.

"What the fuck!" Matsuri exclaimed, her face turning red. "Have I unknowingly taken a bunch of drugs because that is _insane._ "

Suzuran placed a hand on the shorter alpha's shoulder. "Please be calm, Mizusawa-san. Remember, Yuzupon refused their offer."

"How did you two find out?" Mei asked with a cock of her eyebrow.

"Harumi accidentally let something slip." Matsuri rolled her eyes. "Or maybe it was an unconscious slip because she was guilty about _lying_ to me," she hissed. "So then I confronted Yuzu about it this morning. She was _super_ vague about it, just saying that she told Isuke no."

Matsuri frowned for a moment before launching into her tirade again. "And what the hell is this thing with mated to _two_ alphas? What even is that? They just thought that Yuzu would be okay with being the meat in an alpha sandwich? Who are these people?"

"I believe it's called polyamory," Suzuran supplied helpfully.

"Fuck that shit! Do you know how hard it is to make your one girlfriend happy…imagine if you had two? Who has the time? And the emotional energy?"

Mei sighed. "Was there a reason why you came to _me_ to rant about Yuzu associating with Inukai Isuke and Sagae Haruki?"

"Obviously I wanted to find out if you knew about Yuzu meeting with them after school and if you did anything to stop her!" Matsuri glared at the Mei, fists clenched.

"I found out _after_ the fact," Mei snapped. Derisively, she asked, "And if I had known before, what do you think I should have done? Order her to stay at home? Lock her in her room?"

"You know as well as I do that those two are bad news. Yuzu needs to get involved with them like she needs another hole in her head."

The frown on Mei's face deepened. "Of course I know that. Do you think I like the fact that she had been keeping it from me for weeks? She obviously didn't want me to know, or think that it wasn't any of my business." Her voice dropped an octave. What she was about to say grated on her nerves like gravel. "But I am not my sister's alpha. I can't dictate who she can and can't get involved with."

"That's bullshit," Matsuri's growled. "Yes, you can tell her who to see and what to do! You live with her. You should have prevented this whole thing in the first place." She stepped closer to the older alpha. "It's your responsibility."

Mei straight up did not appreciate Matsuri's tone, coming over here on her territory and hurling accusations. She felt a sudden urge to snatch up the little runt by the back of her head and bring her to heel, but she quickly squashed the thought. Her voice held a little petulance when she replied, "That's not how it works. Yuzu told me in no uncertain terms that we are both free to date whoever we wanted. She can date whoever she wants. I can't stop her."

Matsuri narrowed her eyes. "Okaaay….I feel like you and Yuzu have something else going on. Whatever. Point is, this whole thing is a disgusting mess, Isuke and Haruki are trash, and I cannot believe that this has been going on under my nose!"

Mei gave a shrug, as if to say _well welcome to my shitty world of being in love with my stepsister but I can't do anything about it because I am an idiot and I'm not her mate, so yeah it sucks, and I probably need a therapist._

Now on a roll, Matsuri continued. "Well you know what, at least _I_ took some action to protect Yuzu from the alphas that would come sniffing around after she presented as an omega." She pointed to Suzuran with a jab of her thumb. "I took out a little insurance policy. Shiraho-san here scared off those two shitheads after Yuzu went into an abnormal heat. Pretty sure she's keeping the whole pack from just closing in, even now. They're afraid to confront her and her bajillionaire family."

Mei snapped her gaze to Suzuran. The tall alpha wore her normal eerily neutral expression, no indication that she cared that Matsuri referred to her as an attack dog. Mei briefly wondered if the Shiraho heiress had ulterior motives. _Surely, she's not just hanging around Yuzu and her little gang of misfits because Matsuri told her to? Why would an alpha of her caliber take orders from a runt?_

"Well congratulations on a job well done of keeping Yuzu safe from the pack," Mei said in a mocking tone. "Looks like it worked out really well."

Matsuri scowled at Mei's clapback, her lips threatening to peel back in a snarl. "You're a piece of work, you know that?" She turned on her heels and stalked towards the door.

Suzuran and Mei were left staring at each for a short moment. An inscrutable expression flickered across Suzuran's face, as if she wanted to say something to Mei, but it was gone almost as soon as it appeared. The tall alpha gave a small bow and turned to follow Matsuri.

"Wait," Mei called out.

Matsuri and Suzuran both stilled and turned, surprised at Mei's imploring tone.

"I have something to ask you two," stated Mei, wincing. She cleared her throat. "About alpha things."

"What do you mean, alpha things?" Matsuri sauntered towards the student council president. "And why are you asking _us_?"

"I don't have anyone else to ask, all right? My grandfather is an alpha, but he's not exactly the kind, mentoring type. I'd rather chew glass than ask him about this. Both my parents are betas, and besides, my father is off somewhere in Africa doing a spirit vision quest or whatever. And I'm the only alpha in the student council." Mei pressed her mouth in a thin line.

Pulling a face, Matsuri plopped down on a chair at the conference table. "Well now that we've gotten your super sad confession about how you have no real support system and hardly any friends…fine. Ask away."

To compensate for Matsuri's flippancy, which Suzuran believed was simply a maladaptive defense mechanism, the heiress said gently, "You can always talk to me if you want, Aihara-san. I think we both have a lot of the same concerns and pressures, given our family situations and what's expected of us."

"Thank you, Shiraho-san," Mei gave a little nod. She took a seat at the conference table and produced her laboratory test results that she received this morning. "Have either of you gotten results on your A-test that were way off your normal ranges?"

Matsuri scratched her head. "How off? I mean as long as my numbers aren't in the red, I don't really pay much attention to it. And so far, it's never happened."

Suzuran took the cue and also sat down. "I keep pretty close track of my numbers, and there was only time where there was significant bump in my androstenone levels. I was 0.9 over the normal suppressed range, but I went to my doctor and she ran some more tests. She put me on some different suppressants, which seemed to work because I took the A-test a month later and everything was normal." The alpha folded her hands in her lap when she finished.

Mei was silent for a moment as she pondered what Suzuran's experience. Her androstenone levels were _way_ higher than the other alpha's. And her testosterone levels were also higher than normal, at a +2.25, and that was really concerning. If a 0.9 deviation warranted a visit to the doctor –then obviously hers does too, right?

"I guess I should look into getting my rut suppressants adjusted. Maybe I need to go on a med cocktail instead of a daily pill," Mei added weakly.

"Is that what this is about? Your labs were out of whack?" asked Matsuri.

"Yes. Pretty much. I was pretty concerned when I saw the numbers. I'm squarely in the vicinity of ' _very not suppressed_ '." Mei looked down at the paper in front of her.

"Sounds serious. Better get that checked out, prez."

Mei nodded, still staring unseeing at the tabletop. "I feel like this explains some things with my recent behavior."

Matsuri raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" Her bullshit radar pinging, the alpha leaned forward.

A red flush crept up from Mei's neck to her cheeks as she wrestled with being open and vulnerable in front of two alphas, and girls who were her sister's friends.

Finally, after taking a shallow breath, she responded softly, "You know what I'm talking about. I got into a brawl with the alpha pack. I gave Yuzu a mate bite. Then I unilaterally decided to break our bond, causing her to go on withdrawal for weeks. Then after I finally came home, I would go into a rage whenever any other alpha came near her."

Mei's face was red now. Looking away from direct eye contact with Matsuri, she added softly, "My emotions just felt so uncontrollable sometimes, volatile. That doesn't sound like me. I think there's something else going on."

"Let me get this straight," Matsuri drawled, straightening her spine and rolling her shoulders back. She was dangerous like an uncoiling cobra and tongue just as venomous. "You're saying the reason why you've been acting like a total _asshole_ is because of a chemical imbalance from your shitty rut suppressants?"

Mei clenched her fists. "No! I'm just saying that maybe because my body has been trying to go into rut and it's messing with my—"

Matsuri cut her off by suddenly standing up, the back of her knees pushing her chair back with a noise aptly like a record scratch. She placed her hands on the table and leaned into Mei's space. "You don't get to pull the alpha card to excuse your shitty behavior and poor decisions. You're the top alpha in this school, start acting like it."

Suzuran's hand on her arm stopped her from continuing to tower over Mei, a clear act of aggression that everyone knew Matsuri couldn't back up when it actually came down to it. Before Suzuran pulled her away from the table, Matsuri spat out, "Grow up."

* * *

Yuzu spotted Sara across the patio behind the C-wing looking around at the other groups of students eating their lunch. She raised her hand and waved at the omega. "Hey Sara! Over here!"

A smile lit up Sara's face when she turned to Yuzu's voice, and she started to walk towards the picnic table to join her friend. The two girls opened up their respective bentos.

"Wah so cute!" Yuzu exclaimed at the two onigiri shaped like Totoro and Yuzubocchi. "Did your mom make this?"

"No, I made them. I make Nina's lunch too, but I make her rice ball as Hello Kitty."

"Nice." Yuzu scratched the back of her neck. "I make Mei's lunch too, but she'll probably think it's stupid if I decorated it with anything like that."

Sara swallowed the piece of tamagokayi in her mouth. "Is Mei your little sister?"

"Mmhuh." Yuzu nodded as she sipped on her juice box through a straw.

"Well your little sister should be thankful that her onee-san is so kind as to make her lunch. Sorry, but she kind of sounds like a brat."

Yuzu giggled in agreement. "A little bit." _The strong silent type and also tall, dark, and handsome who honestly drives me crazy with her mood swings and inability to be vulnerable and honest…_

When she snapped out of her daydream about Mei, Yuzu noticed that Sara was practically inhaling her lunch. The small girl was almost done with her food, and the others hadn't even gotten here yet because class had ended only ten minutes ago. "Uhh, you in a hurry, or….?"

"Okay so." Sara popped the last piece of food in her mouth, a bright red cherry tomato. After swallowing, she placed the lid on her bento with a sharp snap. "Check this out. I ran into my angel again."

"Ohhhhh…."

"I did some causal digging around and found out where she eats her lunch," Sara said as she wrapped up her bento and chopsticks in a handkerchief.

"And…?"

"I think I'll confess my feelings to her."

"Um." Yuzu blinked. " _Whaet_?" _Holy hell this girl wastes no time._ "Isn't that a bit soon?"

"Probably." Sara shrugged as she rose from the table, just as Nene slid into the bench across from her. "But _carpe diem_ , amirite?"

"Right." Yuzu gave a nod and returned Sara's wave who was already dashing away. " _Ganbatte_!"

* * *

"Mizusawa-san, perhaps you were too hard on Aihara-san?" Suzuran asked after they left the student council office. "It's true that she hurt Yuzu-chan, but she herself is probably hurting a lot too."

Matsuri scowled. "So? She's a dick. Why should I care about her feelings?"

"It's called empathy." Suzuran smiled serenely at the little firecracker. "It can help to understand others, especially those different from us."

The little firecracker rolled her eyes. "Nah, I'm good."

Suzuran chuckled and said nothing more as they walked the halls towards the courtyard. Matsuri always talked a big game, but Suzuran truly believed that she had a big heart underneath all the snark. Being an alpha, her short stature was a chip on her shoulder. All of these things, Suzuran surmised, caused Matsuri's out-of-control napoleon complex.

"Where'd you guys go off to?" Harumi asked as she popped out of a classroom.

Matsuri looped her arm around Harumi's waist and drew her close. "Nothing to worry your pretty little head about. We were taking care of alpha business."

Harumi rolled her eyes. "So you mean you talked to Mei?"

Matsuri scoffed. "I just served her the tea."

"Listen." Harumi put her arm around the pink-haired girl's shoulder. "Don't rag on Yuzu about this, all right? Girl has enough going on. She doesn't need yet another alpha breathing down her neck about her life choices."

After a pregnant pause, Matsuri snapped, "Fine."

* * *

Mei was roused from her pity party when she heard a knock. She walked towards the door to let the student council members back into the office.

She opened the door and standing there wide-eyed was the omega who recently transferred to Aihara Academy.

Even if Mei hadn't seen the girl's transfer student file with a photo, she would still have recognized her as an omega the moment she opened the door. Her scent unfolded like a delicate lotus bloom in the early morning sun, redolent with purity and innocence. That kind of scent only belonged to omegas. By the scent, Mei could also tell that the omega was untouched and unmated.

Mei blinked.

"My name is Tachibana Sara." The short girl gave a bow. "I'm a new transfer student. May I come in?"

"Of course." Mei stepped aside and held the door open. After closing the door behind Sara, Mei asked, "My name is Mei, and I'm the student council president. What can I do for you?"

Sara whirled around to face her. There was a moment when the omega simply stared at her like a deer in headlights. Mei could see her knees trembling.

"Are you having problems adjusting to the school?" Mei frowned in concern. "Are you being bullied by an alpha p—"

"I like you!" Sara exclaimed. "I liked you from the moment I saw you walk by in the hallway!"

 _Oh dear._ Mei shifted her weight on her other foot. She suppressed the reflex to dismiss Sara's confession out of hand. She had her fair share of girls confessing their romantic feelings for her, and she always rejected them with indifference.

Matsuri's accusations forced their way into her thoughts. They had taken some foothold in her mind, she found herself wanting to prove the pink-haired brat wrong. _I'm not an asshole. I'm not blaming my mood swings on a chemical imbalance. I'm not going to hurt this poor girl's feelings by coldly shutting her down._

Mei cleared her throat as she searched for something nice to say. "Thank you for sharing your feelings with me."

Sara stepped closer. "I know you don't know me, and a girl like you has no reason to talk to a random like me. But I believe we're fated to be together." The omega bit her lip and a pink flush rose in her cheeks. It looked slightly adorable.

"I mean to be fair you don't know me either," Mei hedged. "So you also have no reason talk to me." _Oh, smooth. Nice._

Sara's mouth fell open like she was going to argue, but then she pressed her mouth in a thin line, a wrinkle forming between her eyebrows. Her flustered expression almost made Mei chuckle out loud. She imagined reaching forward and smoothing the wrinkle on the omega's forehead with her thumb.

Mei wouldn't do that obviously, because that would be _creepy._ But the strange urge was there. _Another strange thing is this girl._ _Fated to be together? What is she on?_

"Well I want to change that. I want to get to know you." Sara lifted her chin and looked her in the eye. The girl put on a confident façade, but the quaver in her voice gave her away.

"You might not like what you find."

"I'll be the judge of that," Sara said with raised eyebrow.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Mei shrugged. "I strongly recommend that you find someone else more deserving of your attention."

"Mei, if you're not allowed to date just say so. You don't have to put me down gently. I can handle rejection if that's what you're trying to do here."

Mei frowned and tilted her head. "Not allowed to date?" A thought tickled at the back of her mind. Snatches of a conversation that led to her feeling like the world was crashing down around her.

"Like, are you dating anybody? I guess it would have been a good idea to ask you if you were already taken," Sara sheepishly smiled. She scuffed the toe of her shoe on the floor.

 _You can date whoever you want, Mei. You're a free woman, just like I am._

Mei's stomach lurched when Yuzu's words rang in her ear. Yuzu had insisted that she didn't want to go out with anyone and could prove it by rejecting Haruki and Isuke. But the idea that Yuzu didn't care if she went out with anyone – it stung.

It more than stung, honestly. It was like a kick in the cajones. Stomping on her poor heart.

It was mortifying to admit, even to herself. She knew she was being petty.

 _Yuzu doesn't need me._

"Uh, Mei?" Sara asked quietly. "Are you okay?"

Mei blinked. "Sara, do you need me?"

A confused look flashed over the omega's expression. "Is that a rhetorical question, or….?" When Mei simply stared blankly at her, Sara said, "Of course I need you! Are you kidding me? I need you like _air_."

A smile curled the corner of Mei's mouth. Before she could respond, the door opened and the student council members trooped back into the office. Sayaka looked at the two of them suspiciously, while Himeko openly glared at Sara.

As Mei ushered Sara of the office, she said in a voice only loud enough for the omega to hear, "Meet me by the Literature Club room after class."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

So I've had several people ask me ever since Chapter 1 of this story if my Mei has the _unique_ anatomy that alphas have in traditional omegaverse A/B/O) stories. (if you're an omegaverse reader ya know what anatomy I'm talking about) In this chapter, I answer that question, kinda, in an indirect way..

Anyway, thank you for your reviews/comments. Especially to "Shook" – thank you? I found it so sweet…yes yes I'm trying to get enough sleep and eat properly.

Let me know your thoughts if you have em. Oh and yeah, in case you are curious, I think this story will have 4 more chapters until the end. I think my next two chapter updates will be for my Sorority AU because of some holiday-themed plot things (Thanksgiving/Christmas) I want to get in. And it's a little hard to switch gears between these two WIPs because they are so different, yanno?


	21. Omega's Gambit

The bell rang to signal the end of the last class period. After packing up her schoolbag, Mei made her way to the Student Council Office simply from force of habit even though wasn't anything there that needed her attention.

At the filing desk, she fussed over the steering committee paperwork for the Cultural Festival, shuffling and reshuffling them absentmindedly. Miyabi, one of the first-year council members, gave a her a curious look. Probably because she had seen Mei finish the paperwork earlier that day. The beta didn't say anything, which made Mei self-conscious.

She was stalling.

Irritation prickled between Mei's eyebrows, forehead creasing into a frown. Why was she even hesitating with following through with her invitation to that new girl?

That new student, the omega – what was her name? _Tachibana Sara._

It was clear that Sara was eager to meet up with her and spend time with her. Hell, the girl _confessed_ to her. There was no question as to whether this girl wanted her company or not.

So why was she over here in the office, hiding from an omega who practically threw herself at her?

 _It's not like I'm saving myself for someone_. _Why shouldn't I hang out with a girl who likes me? Yuzu was pretty clear about the both of us being free to date other people._

 _Not that I'm going to date this Sara person._

The memory of seeing Yuzu last night on a date with Isuke Inukai rose in her mind like dark, poisonous sludge from the bottom of a swamp. And then Yuzu revealing to her the whole sordid tale about dating both Isuke and Haruki, behind her back, for weeks. This whole time, playing her for some kind of fool –

Mei caught herself close to snarling, her lips peeled back over her teeth and a low growl churning in her throat. Miyabi's eyes were rounded in alarm, looking at her like she might snap at any moment, but frozen in fear. _Poor Miyabi. I should get out of here and leave her in peace._

Her negative, chaotic thoughts followed her out into the hallway.

Mizusawa Matsuri's accusation rang in her ears, and as much as she hated to admit it, it fucking _stung._ She had tried really, really hard not to be that stereotypical alpha who let their biology rule their behavior – but Mizusawa jumped down her throat and flat out told her she was trying to use her off-balance hormones as an excuse for her shitty behavior.

Matsuri, that little runt of an alpha, told her to _grow up._

God, that was a sick burn. She still wasn't over it.

A large group of students were approaching from the other end of the hallway, and they instinctively parted for her, as if she was a boulder in the middle of a stream. Each one all naturally deferred to her. Some of them sneaked looks at her, and a brave few gave her small smiles.

Everyone in this school had an image of her. She was the student council president, the chairman's granddaughter, highest-ranked student, the undisputed top alpha of her peers.

 _Heavy is the head that wears the crown._

 _Wow, that sounds really pretentious._

Mizusawa Matsuri thought she was a joke, and the alpha pack thought she was weak. Yuzu didn't trust her. Himeko thought she had anger issues.

Mei closed her eyes briefly but didn't allow any other outward sign of her distress to show. She was a pro at this. She had been doing this all her life.

 _Pack that uncomfortable emotion in a box. Now seal it up. Place the box in the closet. Next to all the other boxes._

What a mess she's made of things. She wished she could start over.

But she could do that with this Sara girl, couldn't she? Here was someone who didn't know her, didn't have any preconceived notion of her.

Heck, Sara even said she _needed_ her.

Mei walked a little faster towards the literature club room.

* * *

Yuzu was gossiping with Harumi in the classroom when she saw Sara and Nina walk by, talking excitedly. Poking her head out of the open window, she called out, "Where are you guys headed?"

Both girls turned towards her.

"Hi Yuzu!" Sara beamed. "I'm headed to the literature club room."

"Oh?" Yuzu stepped out into the hallway to join the twins. "Are you planning to join the literature club?"

Sara smiled and shook her head, eyes glittering. "Nope."

"Okay?" Yuzu lilted, confused.

"Onee-chan is going on a date with her dream girl!" Nina cheered.

Sara hushed her sister with a warning look. "Shhh! It's not a date."

"Whoa. That girl you were telling me about? Destiny girl? You actually talked to her?" Yuzu asked.

Sara nodded in the affirmative, a giddy smile breaking across her face like a brilliant sunrise.

"That's great! I knew you could do it!"

"It's not like we're instantly mated or anything," Sara said sheepishly. "We're just going to hang out, I think. But it's a start. Speaking of which, I need to find the literature club room. Momokino-san showed me during our tour, but I forgot where it is."

Yuzu grinned. "I'll take you." She stuck her head in the classroom and said to Harumi, "Hey, I'll be right back. I'm gonna take Sara to the club rooms on the 2nd floor."

Harumi looked up from her phone and gave a little wave in acknowledgement.

As Yuzu led them towards one of the stairwells, Nina reached out and touched her elbow. "So…I was actually going to leave, because I want onee-chan to be _alone_ with the girl," the younger twin said pointedly.

Yuzu chuckled, amused at Nina's concern. She had noticed that the taller girl was really protective of her sister. "I'm not planning to crash their tête-à-tête, I'm just taking her to the rendezvous. The girl won't even see me. Don't worry, I have a of lot stealth," she reassured the taller girl.

Nina simply stared at her for a tense moment, as if appraising her trustworthiness.

Yuzu felt her omega bristle. _What the hell? I'm not gonna try to steal Sara's girl, Jesus. What do you take me for?_

Nina tilted her head and said, "Okay." She gave Yuzu a quick wink that was equal parts conspiratorial and threatening.

She turned to Sara and gripped her shoulders. Looking at her older sister in the eyes, she said in serious voice, "Today is the day you meet your fated person. Good luck."

Then Nina walked away from the two omegas with a wave over her shoulder. "I'll see you at home, onee-san."

Deciding not to comment on Nina's misplaced suspicion, Yuzu led Sara up the stairwell. "So tell me all about how you asked out your dream girl. What did you say?"

"I just went right up to her and told her I liked her."

"Wow. I'm proud of you, Sara. I don't think I'd be brave enough to just confess to a complete stranger like that."

"I mean I was nervous as hell, but I just decided to shoot my shot," Sara replied with a shrug as they walked out of the stairwell and into the 2nd floor. "I didn't have anything to lose, and the love of my life to gain!"

Yuzu couldn't help but grin at her new friend. She was really happy for Sara and couldn't wait to see her love story unfold. It was like the plot of a shoujo manga, and she was going to be able to witness it up close!

"Oh, so what's her name?" Yuzu asked as they rounded the corner of the hallway where the club rooms were.

"Her name's Mei."

Yuzu stopped in her tracks. "Wait. What?"

"Mei," Sara enunciated. Realizing they were getting close to the meeting spot; she dropped her voice to a whisper. "That's her name. It's pretty, like her."

"Uhhhh," Yuzu said dumbly. Her forehead crinkled. _It can't be, that's ridiculous._ Like a rolodex, her brain flipped through each girl in Aihara Academy. _Who else is named Mei?_ "What year is she in?" Her voice came out rushed, bordering on frantic.

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to guess in the third year."

"What makes you say that?" Yuzu asked as her stomach filled with cold dread. She was on a roller coaster going up the lift hill before the huge drop, trepidation thrumming in her veins.

"Because she's the Student Council president," Sara replied.

A pit formed in the bottom of Yuzu's stomach, and her heart dropped into it. _No. Oh no._

Standing there against the wall right across the literature club room was her sister, Mei. Her sister the alpha. The alpha who Sara was apparently in love with.

Mei stood there in the hallway, in her dark green blazer, with the student council badge on her arm, not a hair out of place, the picture of perfection. She looked like she was carved from marble, all finely chiseled cheekbones and elegant neck, her face impenetrable and unreachable.

The alpha hadn't caught sight of them yet. She was reading a small notebook which Yuzu knew was her day planner. Yuzu felt oddly smug at the idea that her stepsister considered Sara something to be checked off her task list for the day.

 _Surely, this is all a mistake, right? This isn't actually a date or anything. Mei isn't really interested in Sara._ Yuzu instantly felt ashamed at her deprecating thoughts. Sara was her friend!

Sara slowed down and turned slightly to look at her. A small smile turned up the corners of her friend's lips, a secret between them. Now that she had delivered Sara to the rendezvous with her one true love, Yuzu's work here was done. Sara expected her to leave.

There was a split-second pause where she had to make decision.

Yuzu stood on a precipice. She knew that she should turn around now and go back to Harumi who was waiting for her. They were going to Kona Coffee to try the cucumber cake, and maybe do some homework. She absolutely had no business here.

Adopting a cavalier attitude, Yuzu kept right on walking, ignoring Sara's small noise of alarm.

"Yuzu, what are you doing?" Sara whispered urgently.

"I just want to say hello to Mei," Yuzu tossed over her shoulder.

And why shouldn't she say hello to Mei? She had every reason to. Mei was her sister. Mei was her friend.

Mei used to be her _mate._ She felt an overwhelming urge to let Sara know that once upon a time, she wore Mei's claim on her neck.

"Oh. Okay. It figures that you know her. She's obviously the most popular girl in the school!"

Mei raised her head and looked at them approaching. Her eyes widened in surprise, but then just as quickly schooled her expression into something neutral.

A few meters behind Mei, the arts and crafts club was painting scenery for the plays in the upcoming Culture Festival. A girl wearing an artist's smock turned on an electric fan to help dry the paint on the sets.

The breeze from the fan carried Mei's alpha scent down the hallway towards the two omegas.

Yuzu's chin lifted slightly when she caught the first whiff of Mei's scent. She was _very_ familiar with Mei's personal scent, that comes with sharing a room and a bed. Oh, and being mated before. She knew every nuance and layer in Aihara Mei's olfactory signature.

Which is how she noticed that something was _different._

The change was miniscule. Mei still smelled like winter. But there was something else, something new. Something darker lurking underneath the ice. Earthier.

Behind the sharp bite of snow was the hint of smoke. The scent of a wood fire caught on the wind, the potential of warmth amidst a frozen landscape. So light and fleeting that you wonder if you're just imagining the flames.

This shift in Mei's scent intrigued Yuzu, and if she didn't have a reason to approach the alpha that Sara was lusting after, well she had one _now._ She simply had to investigate this odd change in her stepsister's scent, that's all.

Sara moved quickly to step in front of Yuzu. "Hi Mei. Thank you for waiting." She gestured to Yuzu, almost apologetically. "I didn't quite remember how to get here, but luckily my friend agreed to show me."

The alpha flicked her gaze to Yuzu and the two locked eyes.

Mei's face revealed nothing, regarding her with cool detachment. She had on her poker face, which meant that there was an unspoken game being played.

Yuzu's mouth twisted as irritation bubbled up to the surface.

"That's nice of you to make friends and help our new student, Yuzu."

"It was my pleasure," she replied, saccharine sweet. "I want all omegas to feel welcome in our school."

Glancing back to Sara, Mei said, "That's definitely important. I'm glad you found another omega to show you the ropes."

"And you, Mei? Will you be giving Sara a warm welcome as well? Give her some special attention?" Yuzu asked archly.

A tiny crack appeared in Mei's face armor, a miniscule eye twitch, and Yuzu felt immensely satisfied that she was able to throw off the alpha.

"Actually, yes."

Yuzu's smug smirk wavered. She forced the smile tight over her lips when it felt like slipping off her face.

Sara giggled demurely. "Please take good care of me, Mei."

It was an innocuous phrase that Japanese people said when meeting new people, but it certainly sounded like double entendre. It made Yuzu's teeth ache.

"I will." The alpha murmured.

"That's so nice of you, Mei. You're so busy these days that you don't even have time to eat dinner some nights, but you'll make time in your schedule for the new girl."

Sara's gaze bounced between the both of them. "Um, how do you know each other?"

There was an awkward pause where Mei and Yuzu both just stared at Sara, trying to figure out whether the other person would speak up.

Finally, Yuzu said with a tight smile, "Mei and I are sisters."

"What? Really?" Sara's jaw went slack as she gaped at them.

"Yes," Mei confirmed.

"That's crazy! I never would have guessed," Sara tittered. "Yuzu, why didn't you tell me that…" She paused, realizing what she was going to say in front of Mei. In a small voice, she tried to play it off with, "Uh, never mind."

Oh, she wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily. "Believe me, I didn't know that the alpha you fell in love at first sight with was my sister." The words came out sweetly, but they felt like acid on her tongue. "Serendipity, I guess."

"Yuzu!" A fierce blush appeared on Sara's cheeks and she pressed her palms against them. "Oh my god, I'm so embarrassed." Her eyes dropped to the floor, but she had a giddy smile on her lips.

"She's just teasing you," Mei said as she gently cupped Sara's elbow for two seconds.

Yuzu's stomach twisted painfully at the alpha's fleeting touch. Mei never touched people.

"So, where are we going Mei? Do you want to go for a snack somewhere?" Her head tilted to the side, exposing her unmarked neck with the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. She peered up at the alpha through heavy lashes and bit her tongue.

Yuzu's face pinched in a cringe. _Christ, Sara. Thirsty much?_

"Aihara Academy students are actually supposed to go straight home after school. Especially when they're in uniform."

"Oh." Sara's bottom lip jutted out in a cute pout. "Well that's unfortunate."

Normally, Yuzu would say something argue with Mei to not be such a stick in the mud and a stickler for school rules, but this time, she held her tongue.

"But how about we go home together? We can walk to the station. Which train do you need to take?"

Yuzu stood there silently as the two discuss train schedules and routes.

She was torn. Harumi was waiting for her. She also insisted to Nina that she was going to leave Sara alone on her "date" or what the fuck ever.

But she couldn't tear her eyes away from the alpha and omega in front of her. Sara was looking at Mei like the alpha was the most magnificent creature she had ever seen. Heat was prickling over her skin, crawling up her limbs towards her chest. The shorter girl was standing much too close to Mei, invading the alpha's personal space.

This close, Yuzu noted the slight change in Mei's scent that she had noticed earlier. It was definitely there, like wisps of smoke. Like a touch of dark chocolate on the tip of the tongue. Mei always smelled good to her, but somehow, she smelled even _better._

And Sara was close to enough to smell it too. In fact, the omega looked like she wanted nothing more than to climb Mei like a tree and bury her face in the crook of the alpha's neck.

Yuzu turned and stepped away from the pair. Keeping her back turned so that Mei wouldn't see her pull out her phone from her pocket, she hastily typed out a text to Harumi.

 **code orange. take my bag with u**

She didn't wait for a reply. Harumi would know that Yuzu was ditching her for a very important reason, and to bring her school bag home because she wasn't coming back. Their BFF code came in real handy for times like these. The phone was slipped discreetly back in her pocket.

Yuzu walked back to Sara and Mei. "So Harumi bailed on me, probably to hang out with Matsuri. Can you believe it?" She rolled her eyes and huffed in exasperation. "Do you guys mind if walked home with you?"

Sara made a small noise of sympathy. "No, of course we don't mind! We'd love for you to walk home with us."

The response was obviously what Yuzu was hoping for, but her jaw clenched at the fact that Sara answered for the _both_ of them. **_We_** _don't mind. **We'd** love for you to walk home with us._

The three of them walked to the train station, Mei and Sara walking side by side and Yuzu behind them.

Yuzu gave the two of them plenty of space and didn't try to join or listen to their conversation. Because she didn't _care._ She didn't care about what they were talking about or how much they were learning about each other. She wasn't interested in whatever hilarious thing Mei was telling Sara. With the way Sara kept giggling, you'd think Mei was goddamn stand-up comedian.

She didn't care how close they were to each other, that if Sara leaned any closer to Mei, their arms would touch. She didn't care _at all._

The delicate scent of lilies trailing behind Sara didn't bother Yuzu. Having to smell another omega's pheromones with an alpha close by wasn't an uncomfortable experience. Especially when that alpha was an ex-mate.

Nope, she was an evolved bitch. She wasn't going to engage in petty jealousy. Just to be clear: She didn't care if Mei was paying attention to a pretty omega. Sara was her friend. Mei was her sister. Seriously, they could start dating and she would be happy for them.

 _I just want to make sure they get off at the right foot!_

 _I don't want to Sara to rush into anything with Mei. She's such a sweet, innocent girl who would fall for a good-looking alpha she knows nothing about._

 _Mei better not take advantage of poor naïve Sara._

 _Or I will cut her dick off._

They finally arrived at the station. Standing in front of the turnstiles that would take Sara to her platform, the three of them said their goodbyes.

"Thanks for walking with me today. This is only my second day, and I'm not familiar with the route yet."

"No problem. I can walk with you until you get the hang of it," Mei offered.

Yuzu piped up with, "Oh Sara has a twin sister, Nina. She just had to leave early today. I'm sure they want to walk home together."

The next five seconds unfolded in slow motion in Yuzu's head.

Sara took Mei's hand, sliding her fingertips down the inside of the alpha's forearm, their wrists brushing against each other's, then dragging her palm into place, interlacing their fingers.

Yuzu's jaw almost fell off her face.

Sara wasn't naïve or innocent at all. She just scent marked Mei.

This omega just scent marked Aihara Mei, top alpha of Aihara Academy, in the middle of a Tokyo train station, on the first day of meeting her.

Tachibana Sara had game.

"I would love that," Sara said in a voice that was low and throaty. "I'll meet you after school again tomorrow."

Mei's eyes blinked a few times as she stared down at Sara. Her mouth dropped open as if she was going to say something, but nothing came out. A jerky nod followed.

Sara let go of Mei's hand and gave them a wave over her shoulder before walking through the turnstile and towards her train platform.

They made their way towards their own train, weaving through the sea of bodies hurrying through the station, trying not to lose sight of each other in the crowd.

In the corner of her eye, Yuzu caught Mei lifting her wrist to her nose to curiously sniff Sara's scent.

A low growl churned in her throat before she sped up her pace, leaving her younger sister far behind her.

* * *

After a hurried dinner, Mei was washing her hands in the kitchen sink when she remembered Tachibana Sara none too subtly scenting her. Chuckling at the omega's boldness, she thoroughly rubbed the inside of her wrist with soap, effectively erasing any trace of the scent. It definitely caught her off-guard. Aside from Yuzu, no one has ever dared scent her.

It was kind of impressive how the tiny omega got the drop on her.

Wiping her hands with a dish towel, Mei decided she didn't mind at all. Sara seemed like a cool girl. The omega definitely didn't hesitate to go after what she wanted, and Mei could respect that.

As she started for the bedroom to get started on her homework, Yuzu shot her a dirty look from behind the kitchen counter. Her blond hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and she was wearing a bright pink apron. Yuzu looked fucking cute and adorable as ever, even while scowling at her. The omega probably didn't even realize that she had been giving hate looks all night.

Mei gave her sister a sweet smile, and when she passed her, a slow wink. She had a good idea why Yuzu was so irritable ever since the train ride home earlier, and she couldn't help but tease the omega a little.

Yuzu simply huffed and went back to clearing the table.

After sitting down at her desk in the bedroom, Mei pulled out the contents of her school bag. The paper with her lab results was on top of the pile.

She looked at her hormone levels and sighed heavily. No matter how she sliced it, these numbers were concerning. Her androstenone level was too high, and her testosterone was downright scary.

These kinds of numbers could lead to a _rut._

Mei dragged a hand down her face and groaned. The very idea was sickening. Panic-inducing.

An alpha going into a rut evokes different reactions depending on who you ask, but for Mei, experiencing an _overwhelming drive to mate_ sounded pretty fucking horrible. Especially since she didn't have _a_ mate to mate _with_ , it would just be an intensely uncomfortable few days locked in an unsatisfied rut.

This is why she was on rut suppressants. So that she wouldn't have to go through the harrowing experience of having her mind hijacked by her alpha biology. Being so horny that she would lose her goddamn mind? Yeah, no thanks.

 _Wouldn't it be just my luck, that after diligently taking suppressants every day for two years, I suddenly go into a rut. Of all the times for my rut suppressants to fail, it would be right now._

It was honestly the worst possible time. The Culture Festival was just around the corner, and the Student Council has never been so busy. She was literally putting in 5 hours of work after school each day.

There simply wasn't time to go to the doctor and get this straightened out. The nurses at the school clinic couldn't increase the dosage of her suppressants or get her on different ones, as the law required only licensed physicians to prescribe medications related to alpha and omega biochemistry.

Her doctor was all the way in Ginza. The travel time, the consultation, and going to the get her bloodwork done would take about 4 hours. She would have to miss a half day of school.

 _No way. Unacceptable._

Mei sighed and tucked the lab results into her planner. This would just have to wait until after the Culture Festival.

 _It's not like I'm suddenly going to break out into a rut in the next week. I'm sure it'll be fine._

* * *

"Why did you turn the AC up?" Yuzu groused, yanking more of the blanket to her side of the bed and turning on her side, away from Mei. "It's so cold in here."

"Well I'm hot," Mei punctuated the statement by ripping the sheets off her body. "Here, take all the blankets."

"How can you be hot? Seriously, my toes are freezing, it's so cold."

"I don't know, okay? I just feel warm."

Yuzu didn't want to care, but she twisted her head to look at Mei. "Are you getting sick or something?" she snapped.

There was a pause. "No, I'm just." Mei sighed loudly. "Tired. There's a lot going on and I haven't been sleeping or eating well."

Yuzu felt herself soften at Mei's weary tone. All she wanted to do was roll over and scoop the alpha up in her arms and stroke her hair and comfort her….but no. No.

 _No, no, no._

 _I'm not your nursemaid or a binky for you to suck on just because I happen to here._

She opted for a compromise between her instinct to soothe and her general irritation towards the alpha. "I'll make katsu don tomorrow for lunch, you better eat it okay? And make sure you take your vitamins."

"Okay," Mei replied in a small voice. "Thank you. I know making katsu don in the morning takes time from your routine."

"It's fine," she grumbled. "Go to sleep, Mei. Good night."

"Goodnight."

After Mei fell asleep, Yuzu carefully rolled over. Propped up on one elbow, she watched her stepsister sleep.

The faint wash of moonlight through the sheer curtains illuminated just enough of Mei's features to see that the girl was having a fitful sleep. There was a crease between her eyebrows and a light sheen of sweat covered her forehead. Her chest rose and fell steadily, but there was mild stutter in her breathing every so often.

Affection swelled in Yuzu's chest as she gently stroked Mei's arm, careful not to wake her.

Then she tucked her face into Mei's neck and inhaled, finally doing what she had wanted to since this afternoon when she caught the alpha's scent in the wind.

Yes. Up close, she could confirm that something different about Mei's scent. The addition was something dense and earthy. Smoky.

It was very subtle, but at the same time, it was like something had changed down to the atomic level.

Even without pheromones, Mei's normal everyday scent always smelled so good to her. Right now, the alpha smelled downright _delicious_. It made her want to crawl on top of her stepsister so she could press their bodies together as she inhaled her scent.

 _Geez. Down, girl._

Yuzu carefully shuffled back to her side of the bed. Before falling asleep, she decided she would make soup curry for dinner. For some odd reason, she had this urge to feed the alpha.

* * *

 **Author Notes:**

 _walks in late to class holding a Starbucks and dark sunglasses_

Oh hey guys, so it's been 84 years…but I think I'm ready to jump back into this story again. You might have thought this story was abandoned…never! I will go down this ship! As usual, let me know what your thoughts =)

(Also, just kidding, I haven't had Starbucks in 6 weeks because of the quarantine. Stay safe out there everyone. I'm gonna try to entertain y'all and myself with this crazy story in the meantime)


End file.
